Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

After months of record-breaking fund-raising, a new sense of urgency in Senator Barack Obama’s fund-raising team is palpable as the full weight of the campaign’s decision to bypass public financing for the general election is suddenly upon it.

Pushing a fund-raiser later this month, a finance staff member sent a sharply worded note last week to Illinois members of its national finance committee, calling their recent efforts “extremely anemic.”

At a convention-week meeting in Denver of the campaign’s top fund-raisers, buttons with the image of a money tree were distributed to those who had already contributed the maximum $2,300 to the general election, a subtle reminder to those who had failed to ante up.

The signs of concern have become evident in recent weeks as early fund-raising totals have suggested that Mr. Obama’s decision to bypass public financing may not necessarily afford him the commanding financing advantage over Senator John McCain that many had originally predicted.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/us/politics/09donate.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[smiley_glad_hands]

1. K&R

[stillcool]

2. Does this mean we're double doomed?

The Obama campaign does not have to report its August fund-raising totals until next week, so it is difficult to tally what it has in the bank at this point. A spokesman said that August was its best fund-raising month yet and that the campaign’s fund-raising was on track.
-----------

In a campaign swing through South Florida over Labor Day weekend, Mr. Obama’s vice-presidential running mate, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., met with several small groups of major donors and sent out an e-mail appeal to supporters of his own unsuccessful presidential campaign, as well as to Jewish supporters. The effort brought in more than $1 million in four days.

Campaign officials expect their Internet fund-raising engine to ramp up as the election approaches. And they hope that much of the high-dollar fund-raising can be done without Mr. Obama. In the New York area alone, there are some 18 events planned in September, all with surrogates, including Mrs. Clinton, Caroline Kennedy and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico.

[AzNick]

4. This means: give give give!

I will donate $50 every pay check until the election.

[skyounkin]

5. Yeah,

Time to give- gonna look at my finances and see what I can do.

[stillcool]

12. Yup...I'm due...

[WheelWalker]

13. "To give less than one's best is to sacrifice the gift"

- Steve Prefontaine.

I couldn't agree with you more, comrade. This is no time to give any less than all we have to give. We are brothers and sisters who can, and therefore we must. Destiny is upon us. It is victory, or it is death.

And a very sincere "welcome" to DU!

[Pirate Smile]

7. New York Times = Concern Troll

[intheflow]

14. .

:spray:

[skyounkin]

3. LOL

Well, it would have given him a advantage if john mcsame followed the goddamm law he wrote. mcsame is probably bringing in a lot of new money from stupid fundies with his palin pick for vp. This is nothing to be "that" surprised about- hopefully this isn't going to that big of a shock to team Obama.

BUT hopefully it is a good wake up call that it's time to hit back and hit back hard. Enough with the praising john as a war hero (he isn't), and hit palin on her fucking ineptitude.

[still_one]

6. Gee, why don't I trust the NY Times anymore? The rnc reported 7 million after palin came aboard

the Obama camp in reported over 10 million and still counting

After 8 years of lies and getting us into war, why would I trust what the media says now?

[Pirate Smile]

10. Remember just last month or so when the WSJ reported that he had only raised $30 million but it

ended up being $54 million (or something like that). Obama camp doesn't leak. People talking aren't people in the know.

[still_one]

17. Thanks /nt

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. Good analysis. Was Obama's 10 mil announced anyplace other than

his website? That was a lot of money to raise in 24 hrs. I'm not familiar with the authors of this piece, but maybe the Obama team is trying to downplay expectations, so that when they do announce their August numbers, it will blow all fundraising records out of the water, and put Caribou on the back pages where she belongs.

[still_one]

18. Actually it was over 10 million, and it was briefly mentioned on AP

[Frances]

8. I will send another check

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. Self-Delete

Self-Delete. Responded to wrong post.

[John Q. Citizen]

15. People need to read this and respond. Money is the mothers milk of politics.

[AndyTiedye]

16. If We Gave the Max Before the Convention, Can We Give More Now?

[crimsonblue]

20. you can give $4600 total

but you can only give $2300 after Obama became the candidate (because the primaries are over).

[ClarkUSA]

21. Yes.

;)

[Shanti Mama]

19. Very cool graphic that shows how he got his funds earlier

http://www.xplane.com/obama/

Don't know why I didn't post this earlier.