Campaign $$$ = a question for Clark/Edwards supporters?

[feckerman]

A major factor that needs to be examined:

Clark and Edwards both are within the Campaign Money system - meaning if they win, they will come out of what is going to be a tough/long Primary race with a broken bank. (and maxed out limits) George Bush will have hundreds of millions ready to attack them.

Even with all the supporters in the world, how could either of the two stand up to that for months, before they get a boost from the general campaign funds? How can they survive?

[AP]

1. Gore outspent by Bush 2:1. Gore was a TERRIBLE communicator.

Gore won the vote (and lost the strategic battle get it counted).

Focus on picking the candidate with the best message and the most talent to deliver it. Worry about money later.

[michaelbmoore]

2. Amen

Message over money any day.

[Leilani]

3. That's Right

We need the Candidate...
There will be plenty of money around..
The obscene amount of money that Bush has raised from Special Interests will be a powerful argument against him.

[LoneStarDem]

4. The Numbers

This was a response I wrote to another thread on the same topic. It's a Dean/Clark comparison, but it should be applicable. I'm not a professional or anything, so if I've missed anything any comments would be welcomed.

What I think you're missing is that Clark's late entry actually *helps* him in terms of reaching the convention under the cap. To date his burn rate has been incredibly low (the third quarter was around 100k total, I know, because he was only in it for a few weeks). If we disregard the matching funds for now, he has taken in about 15-16mil, mostly in the fourth quarter. I haven't been able to track down how much he spent Q4, but lets say a generous 8mil. Assuming he can pull down the entire 45mil, that leaves 37mil to get him from jan to july, seven months. That gives him 5.3mil per month or almost 15.9mil per quarter, more than anyone has even *raised* in a quarter. He's fine. Dean, no shame on him, had to opt out; because of his previous quarters of spending, he really would have been screwed.
Dean Expen:
Q1: 0.7mil
Q2: 3.3mil
Q3: 8.8mil
Q4: ? (Call it another 8mil)

Total: 20.8mil

Which would have left him just 24.2mil for seven months if he had stayed under the cap. As it stands, at the end of Q3 he had about 12.5mil in cash on hand. If we go with the above numbers (15mil in, 8mil out) that leaves him with about 20mil on hand going into January. *If* he can do another 15mil/Q for the next two quarters, that will give him a comfy ~7.2mil a month, or 21 and change a quarter. But, that is assuming present contribution levels can be sustained and that he doesn't run into a wall of either stagnating support or maxed out donors. Of course, the same goes for Clark, but he does get that nice matched funds nest egg every quarter. As it stands, Dean does have something of an advantage as far as long term funding (maybe), but it's not the disparity that some have made it out to be.