by Christi Parsons and Rick Pearson
FT. WORTH — Fundraising numbers in the Democratic race for president shot into the stratosphere in the month of February, with reports from aides to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama putting the staggering combined figure at somewhere in the range of $85 million.
Clinton touted the news that she had raised $35 million as evidence of the vitality of her campaign, as she conducted a furious day of campaigning in Ohio and Texas, where voters could decide her fate in the campaign on Tuesday.
The Obama camp responded coyly, saying only that they would surpass the $35 million figure by reporting "considerably more"—and then sat back without official comment amid news reports of their skyrocketing February total.
One member of Obama's finance committee told the Tribune that some reports from within the campaign indicate their fundraising could hit $50 million this month.
Even by the most conservative reading, the campaign totals have now shattered yet another ceiling—for the amount of money raised in a single month. Already, the funds raised and spent in the Democratic primary race have dwarfed that of every nominating contest in U.S. history.
See the rest of the story in today's Tribune:
And the money now pouring into the campaigns means that, as long as the race continues, voters in the remaining primaries and caucuses are about to be barraged by intense campaign ads.
It is also a testament to the high level of interest in the race, with stunning numbers of individual donors flocking to participate not just at rallies and at the polls but with their pocketbooks.
At the Clinton camp, the fundraising feat looked like a sign that voters want her to continue her campaign, despite the fact that Obama has won 11 nominating contests in a row and has pulled ahead of her in national polls.
Compared with the $14 million she raised in January, Clinton said Thursday, the new figure "says a lot."
"I believe the people demonstrate their support for a candidate a number of ways," she said. "When people found out we didn't have the resources to compete and I did put my own money in, it just set off a chain reaction across the country — hundreds of thousands of people saying, 'Wait a minute. We want this campaign to go on.' "
She gained 200,000 new donors in a month, she said, as she prepared for fundraisers late Thursday and on Friday.
She also planned to use south Texas visits by former Cabinet member Henry Cisneros and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to help her court Hispanic voters. As the full-court press continued, an aide to Clinton said that, even if she wins both Ohio and Texas on Tuesday, it won't substantially narrow the delegate margin between her and Obama.
At the Obama camp, officials said this week that they had crossed the 1 million mark in the number of individual donors, many of whom made donations in $25 and $50 increments.
But in a chat with reporters during a flight from Austin to Beaumont, Texas, Obama said he isn't counting Clinton out of the fight.
Obama campaigned across Texas, conducting two town hall meetings and one rally, with more events planned for Friday before he heads to Rhode Island and Ohio.
Aides said they were trying to lower the volume and crowd size at the town hall events in hopes of giving voters a chance to get to know Obama in a more intimate, issues-oriented setting. At his first event Thursday, for instance, they turned off the music and Obama skipped his inspirational stump speech in favor of an extended question-and-answer period.
But the crowd at a Beaumont theater later Thursday responded to him so enthusiastically that he went off on an unusual, extended riff about how parents should treat their children.
Parents should make their children do their homework and eat a good breakfast, and not one from Popeye's Chicken, he said, to laughter and applause.
Even as Obama's campaign was hoping for a $50 million month in February fundraising, he said he wasn't in on the specifics and that he didn't even know if he would rake in more money than he did in January. The $50 million is about half as much as he raised in 2007.
"I have no idea how much money we've raised, but I know we've been paying our bills," Obama said. "I think we've done fairly well."
Many of the details of the new fundraising record are unclear, including which portions of the money can be used in the primary and which are earmarked for the general election.
Whichever candidate doesn't win the nomination can refund campaign donations to contributors. Also, one Federal Election Commission advisory suggests leftover money could be used for a future Senate campaign or transferred to the Democratic National Committee for the general election.
The infusion of cash means that the Clinton campaign is not folding its tent, even though Obama seems by some standards to be closing in on the nomination.
"If you read the press or watch the television, you would think this race is over," said Harold Ickes, a top Clinton adviser. "It's a long way from that."
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Comments
Hussein keeps on rolling while the wide stance party can't even bring their own party together. McLame can't seem to make fear work for him as well as Bush did. He's 4 more years of Bush.
Posted by: bill "hussein" r. | February 29, 2008 8:02 AM
Bush thinks the economy is just a little slow right now. I have no doubt that McLame agrees with Bush, after all they're twins when it comes to ideas. McLame himself says he knows nothing of economics. He can't even unite his own party.
Posted by: bill "hussein" r. | February 29, 2008 8:13 AM
Bill,
I'm not sure what your tirads have to do with the fundraising, but the article does bring up some major questions. $50 million in a month! I have to wonder where its coming from. I mean, is he so good at spin doctoring that people are giving up their hard earned money in a severe economic downturn just so "he" can get the power of the President? Or is it more likely that he has a lot more corporate and wealthy backers than he will ever admit to. He can't admit to them since that would destroy his image of "The Holy One", but I don't suspect that many common folk out there have that kind of money to pass off to him. BEWARE of the FALSE PROPHET!!!!
Posted by: Paul | February 29, 2008 9:46 AM
Paul...I guess I'm a little more worried about where the money for Iraq comes from. That would be my pocket, my sons pockets, and my grandsons pocket. Why don't you worry about that? 50 million raised from supporters compared to 1 trillion leads me to believe you are missing the big picture.
Posted by: bill r. | February 29, 2008 9:57 AM
Paul
Bruce can show you where to find out records of who is giving money and how much they are giving. Be wary though, he uses aprox. 10 aliases at last count, in fact I'm no so sure you aren't his latest alter ego. Just look for the whining tool who likes to quote polls and attack the media.
Posted by: john | February 29, 2008 10:42 AM
Obama recently surpassed the 1 million donor mark, which is historical. About 5% of those are wealthy donors and their donations comprise about 50% of his total. The other 95% is from people donating only $25-$100 dollars, mostly online. In short, the bulk of his donations are coming from people like me. No one needs to speculate about this information because it has to be reported, and it is available on the internet. If you don't believe me, Google it. The same is true for John McCain and Hillary.
This is an astounding feat by any measure. No, it does not mean that Obama will make the best president, but it does mean he is quite popular, and that people are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
Posted by: Grandblvd "Hussein" 03 | February 29, 2008 11:13 AM
Bill, just to give you an idea: both I and my 91 year old mother-in-law each gave $25 to Obama's campaign. Like the article said, more than a million people (individuals) have given. Some (not I yet) have given such amounts several times. But remember, we're all limited to how much we can give. Maybe we are all being taken in; maybe he is a "false prophet". But I'll say this: it's far better than all those taken in with George Bush.
Posted by: Kerry Kleiber | February 29, 2008 11:16 AM
The Obama campaign said the other day that they have nearly 1 million donors. I guess a candidate isn't necessarily as dependent on bribes from corporate lobbyists if he can get a million of the "common folk" (like Warren Buffet and Halle Berry?) to chip in 50 bucks.
Posted by: Tom O | February 29, 2008 11:26 AM
Bill,
The point of the article is campaign contributions, not the war in Iraq. My comments concern that issue, not wider ones. We all know that the the war in Iraq is hurting us, individually and as a country. As far as paying for that, it IS going to cost us, our children, and our children's children - Bush has insured that! And it will continue to cost no matter who is in the White House. Senator McCain is correct, dispite what the Democratic hopefuls say, that the US can not leave Iraq overnight. If we were to pull out, the region would fall into complete chaos and then the costs would skyrocket, for the entire world! To date none of the candidates has provided a very good plan for our withdrawal in such a way that would at least give the region a chance to settle down safely, albeit not peacefully.
Posted by: Paul | February 29, 2008 11:28 AM
Paul....May I ask who told you that? Would it be the same ones that got us into this mess in the first place. Has any occupation in the middle east ever work out for anyone? how long has Israel and the palistinians been going at it? You say yes Iraq has hurt us when it comes to economy, what will 100 more years of it do to us?
Posted by: bill r. | February 29, 2008 12:00 PM
I am one of the folks that has given $50 three times. I love the idea of "unconnected Americans" taking back the power from the corrupt oil & military companies that have bought & paid for Bush/Cheney!
Posted by: susan | February 29, 2008 12:15 PM
Sen. Obama is the "People's Choice," not another 4 years of Bushlite! Sen. Clinton finally revealed who she was AFTER 35 years of so-called service. She is a changing mask and that is frightening!
The American people have spoken and their voices should be heard.
Posted by: broadcast | February 29, 2008 12:17 PM
BE CARFULL WHAT YOU WISH FOR,IT MAY COME TRUE
This Obama is not what he appears to be he has many hidden agendas. I wonder is the Koran thing true?
Posted by: Russell Bell | February 29, 2008 12:51 PM
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT:-)
If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary's than they had ever been before or since.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think all those Republicans voting for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and caucuses are doing so because they think he is a stronger Democratic candidate than Hillary Clinton. :-)
Best regards
jacksmith...
Posted by: jacksmith | February 29, 2008 12:59 PM
Bill,
Once again your narrowmindedness overshadows your comments. Any student of history, especially of Middle East History, can tell how unstable it can get over there. Your comments about Israel and Palestine only highlight that. Recent history can point to the rise of the Taliban after the Soviet Union had tried to take it over. The cost will be there and it will be devastating. The time we are there needs to be as short as it can be. However, it is America, under the behest of George W. Bush et al, that put us in this situation and it is America that holds the fragile peace right now. When the Soviet Union left Afghanstan, a radical regime took over. Even the Iranians hated them, considering them too radical. It was the stable governments there, no matter how much we disagreed with them, that held things in check. When we leave an area in Iraq now, what happens? The radicals step in and quickly destablize what we left behind. The truth of the matter is that there is no quick fix. It must be a well planned and, unfortunately, lengthy withdrawal. If it should destabilize, how high do you think the cost of oil, and hence gas, will go up? If you think $4 a gallon is bad, keep pushing for that removal next week.
Posted by: Paul | February 29, 2008 1:07 PM
BE CARFULL WHAT YOU WISH FOR,IT MAY COME TRUE
This Obama is not what he appears to be he has many hidden agendas. I wonder is the Koran thing true?
Posted by: Russell Bell | February 29, 2008 12:51 PM
Well with McCain being nothing more than 4 more years of Bush...I'll take my chances. I wonder if that wide stance thing is true?
Posted by: bill "hussein" r. | February 29, 2008 1:11 PM