Pay Up or Risk Long Battle, Obama Told

[Catherina]

Pay Up or Risk Long Battle, Obama Told
Ewen MacAskill in Philadelphia
The Guardian, Tuesday April 22 2008


Barack Obama has been warned that his refusal to pay the traditional “street money” to local operatives to help get the vote out in Philadelphia today could cost him the crucial percentage points needed to knock Hillary Clinton out of the race for the White House.

In many of the city’s poorer wards, the recipients look forward to these bonuses from Democratic officials - a hangover from the days of the party’s old-fashioned machine politics - even though the amounts are relatively small, ranging from $50 to $400.

But as in other contests, Obama is relying on his own army of unpaid volunteers to get the vote out. The Clinton team, meanwhile, is not saying whether it will pay out “street money”.

There are 69 wards in Philadelphia and estimates suggest it would cost Obama $400,000-$500,000 to pay the 14,000 people normally required to help get the vote out.

Carol Ann Campbell, an integral part of the city machine, said she expected Obama to win the city, but his failure to pay could cost him the crucial margin needed to force Clinton out of the race for the presidential nomination.

In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer last week, Campbell defended the practice of “street money”, saying: “We are a machine town.” She added that there was nothing dirty about it. “The committee people and the ward leaders have to buy lunch for hundreds of people, otherwise they won’t have good workers. They have to buy coffee, orange juice and doughnuts. That’s just the way it is.”

Since the start of the primary campaign last year, Obama has avoided using the Democratic machine, on the assumption that it had already been tied up by the Clintons, and instead built up his own volunteer network. He has encouraged his supporters to be self-sufficient, with volunteers bringing dishes into campaign headquarters rather than sending out for meals.

...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/22/barackobama.uselections2008

“street money”?

[NJmaverick]

1. The few percentage points, this cost him

Was worth it to start changing the way politics is done

[Catherina]

2. I agree. I'm very proud to be part of his new machine

And they thought they'd kicked Howard Dean to the curb ;)

[cali]

12. Howard should be the Secretary of HHS under President Obama

He'd kick ass there, and help pass healthcare reform- something he knows a shitload about and is eminently qualified to do.

[Catherina]

29. I'd love to see Howard in an Obama administration

I'm still bitter about how they overturned the people's will in 2004. Dr Dean :patriot:

[Adelante]

32. Yes, and the margin in Philly was far larger than the Obama camp expected

I saw on CNN last night.

[democrattotheend]

43. I don't think it cost him much

They said last night on CNN that he netted more votes out of Philly than expected. The reason the margin was so big, IMO, was because we didn't do as well in the suburbs as I had hoped. I am really surprised Clinton won Montgomery County...only by 1.5 points, but I would have thought Obama would do a little better there.

[Window]

3. Good for Sen. Obama!!

:kick:

[Catherina]

7. I'm proud of him for eating into her turn without paying the machine

Reading this made me realize she's even broker than we thought. No wonder she was begging for money during her victory speech.

[Window]

48. Absolutely. She's broke in more ways than money.

[SunsetDreams]

4. Good For Him That He Put Principles Over Scoring A Few Political Points

[Tyler Durden]

6. Like telling supporters in MI and FL to crossover and vote in the Republican Primary.

Big time scruples.

[Divernan]

8. Link?

[SunsetDreams]

13. I'm blind I can't see what that person said.

[Tyler Durden]

20. Oh give it a rest.

[chascarrillo]

47. You're asked to provide a source for your assertion, and you say "Give it a rest?" Huh.

Interesting.

[Tyler Durden]

56. As I said to some other "LINK MANIACS" down thread....

When the local campaign tells me to "GAME" the system, they don't exactly put it in writing.

Plus there were stories left and right about MI and FL crossovers since our primary was fucked, so look THEM up if you want.

None of you follow the rules of debate, so I feel no compulsion to play linky with you.

[Catherina]

14. When people donate to HRC do they get to choose where their money goes?

When people donate to HRC do they get to choose where their money goes? Are there little checkboxes so supporters can choose between greasing palms, $3000 makeup jobs or $1500 haircuts?

[Tyler Durden]

21. And when you vote for war funding, you're still voting for death.

and this all means what?

[Catherina]

27. Correct. And I have a big problem with Obama for that

but let's be honest. If he hadn't, he'd be standing next to Kucinich right now. I also think there's an enormous difference between voting for war funding that's tied up in the same bill as other issues and voting to start a war. Or cackling about obliterating another nation.

Clinton's thankfully finished. She's on NPR begging for money now. When you're in debt all over town and you went even more into debt greasing palms, I'd say the situation is desperate. I'd gain some comfort knowing her supporters at least get to choose where their money goes since they might as well be standing on a dock and throwing their money in the sea.

[Tyler Durden]

53. See, I don't absolve either of them for that.

Honest is honest, and yeah Wellstone is dead but this was something that was framed by Dean, Reid, and Pelosi YEARS ago. Sure I blame them, but "I vas joost following ORDERS" is no excuse for me.

[Bluenorthwest]

57. So he voted for a war he thinks is immoral

Just to get elected? Is that not in fact the thinking about the IWR for the other one? Murder for one's own ambition is still in fact murder. By the time Obama joined the funder's parade, the wholness of the fiasco in Iraq was obvious. And yet he voted for it. To serve his own ambition. That is brutal. Sorry but it is just brutal. Brutal when she did it and brutal when he did it. One does not mitigate nor define the other.

[Obamanaut]

22. I'm not sure this is possible in Florida. Isn't it true that if one is

registered as Dem, Rep, Ind, etc that this is the only portion of the ballot one gets to see at the primary - whereas in the GE one sees all the candidates on the same ballot? Thus, how is it possible to crossover in Fla?

[Tyler Durden]

24. Don't know about FL: MI all you do is go to the correct table.

I've got a big time bug about crossover voting. Lies get the "Death Penalty" in my family.

[Adelante]

34. The Obama campaign did that?

Link or slink.

[Catherina]

36. Looks like slink

[Tyler Durden]

55. Both of you give it a rest.

If I asked for a "LINK" every time some supporter of somebody threw out one of their "NEOCON" or "ROVE" accusations, I couldn't take time to pee.

You know full well that the local campaigns made it VERY CLEAR (BOTH campaigns) that voters should go ahead and game the Republicans, but I really don't care what you think anyway.

Slink my ass. What childish bullshit.

[Catherina]

60. Just as I thought. That statement was

[Lerkfish]

40. why oh why isn't my ignore working this morning? oh well

plonk

[Tyler Durden]

54. Allow me to return the favor.

I used to respect you too.

[Tippy]

5. Obama an honorable man......Thank you Obama n/t

[Frustratedlady]

9. Wow! That's refreshing!

Good for Obama. Stick to your guns and stay on the high road.

[izzie]

I was shocked to hear that was still going on.

--

[izzie]

10. I was shocked to hear that was still going on.

--

[Catherina]

19. I'm shocked it's going on so openly.

It kind of puts a whole new light on a few things




http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=5616747

[NC_Nurse]

11. His campaign is a new type of movement and the old-school folks don't

get it and don't want to get it. They like the status quo.

[DemVet]

15. Uh, how does he think vehicles are rented to get voters to the polls?

That's one example of how this "street money" is put to use.

[Catherina]

23. Nonesense. That's what donations to THE DNC and volunteers are for

I'm "shocked" a Clinton supporter showed up to put a spin on this abhorrent corruption.

[PA Democrat]

26. A good friend worked for a PA politician for years, and he handed out street

at election time. It was pretty much bribe money to get "volunteers" to work for the candidate. My husband said they used the money to buy a case of beer, or go out to a bar after the polls closed.

[Catherina]

28. Bribe money is how I see it. It's wrong.

I've volunteered in so many states and this is the first time I ever heard of such a practice. It strikes me as so mafiaesque.

[DemVet]

30. Yeah, it's only wrong because your guy lost. Deal with it.

[Catherina]

33. I know this is a hard concept for you but wrong is wrong, wherever and whenever n/t

[Adelante]

35. It was the custom in South Carolina

There, Obama refused to do it, too, despite everybody saying he couldn't win without it, and he won big. I think his larger than expected margin in Philly last night also shows he was right.

[Catherina]

38. It is so time for change

I didn't know that about SC. What a racket :( How many other states have this "custom"?

[Adelante]

39. I don't know how many states

South Carolina was covered in the press on this, though, with everyone there saying it couldn't be done. Yes, we can!

[Catherina]

41. I believe that too, that we can and we will.

The Democratic Party knows it can't alienate a whole new generation of voters now. And the African-American vote is also too important to lose.

What's the deal with NC when it comes to greasing palms?

[Adelante]

49. That I don't know

It's likely to be similar, but I don't know that.

[Terri S]

16. It's one of the reasons why I support Obama

It's not about playing the game better, it's about stopping the game playing.

[goclark]

25. Me too !

.

How brave of Obama to not go for that road.

And to encourage volunteers to bring treats is a wonderful idea.
The Campaign funds should not be used for the phone bank people.

That is a GREAT idea!

It could have helped HC in Nevada with her donut bill -- did she pay it yet?

[damndude]

17. is 'machine town' the new term for bribery

[Tippy]

31. Once upon a time it was called paying your dues...n/t

[Coexist]

18. did clinton pay sreet money?

[Buzz Clik]

37. Good for him. Let somebody else pay the political whores.

[Catherina]

42. So Rhandi wasn't so wrong after all

not that I ever thought she was.

[MadBadger]

44. He won 65% of the Vote in Philly without it.

[psychopomp]

45. This is what TRANSPARENCY MEANS

:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

[TragedyandHope]

46. This seems to be a reprint of an article from a week or two ago

I support Obama's judgement on this issue. The "street money" crowd is tied into the Rendell, Nutter & Co. Pennsylvania machine anyway, so it may have made less difference than these articles imagine.

Here's the April 11th LA Times article:

Barack Obama may lose support in Philadelphia over 'street money'

[Catherina]

50. Thanks I just bookmarked that. How funny, $500,000 of the money

Clinton's begging for is for backpayments on palm greasing :evilgrin:

[TragedyandHope]

52. It sure is fun to spend other people's money you don't yet have

[SaveAmerica]

51. Hillary's DUers were projecting yesterday when they kept saying Obama's votes were bought.

[stillcool]

58. So Republican-esque..

blame the other side for the things you do.

[gsaguyCLW54]

59. this is how political machines operate....

....and is how Democrats were the majority party in congress for such a long time. They practice the old fashioned, machine driven GOTV.