Obama's cash haul surpasses McCain's
By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff
Democrat Barack Obama's campaign said today it raised $52 million in June, the month in which he locked up his party's presidential nomination.
Obama, who will forgo public funding in the general election, outraised Republican rival John McCain by about $30 million last month, even though McCain had his best fund-raising month of the campaign.
Obama's haul represented a rebound from May, when he raised about $22 million -- barely more than McCain. And it was Obama's second biggest month, behind only the record $55 million he brought in during February.
Obama's campaign, combined with the Democratic National Committee, has about $92 million cash on hand, just less than the combined $93 million of the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee, which hopes to raise about $120 million to augment McCain's campaign spending. The GOP nominee will be limited to spending the public grant of $84.1 million, about $10 million a week, between his formal nomination the first week of September and the Nov. 4 election.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, in an early-morning email to supporters, said there was "a huge cash advantage" on the Republican side and appealed to supporters to dig deeper to close the gap and specifically asked for donations of $25.
During June, Plouffe wrote, "hundreds of thousands" contributed, including many first-time donors. The average contribution was $68, he said.
The campaign said about $2 million of the June proceeds is available for the general election, bringing to about $12 million the amount of funds the Obama campaign has set aside for the campaign after his formal nomination on Aug. 28.
In becoming the first presidential candidate to reject public funding for the general election campaign since it took effect in 1970s post-Watergate reforms, Obama, who has now raised about $339 million, is banking on continued record-shattering fund-raising through the Nov. 4 election.
UPDATE: Plouffe's email notwithstanding, the DNC crowed about its fund-raising success in June. It's $22.4 million haul and $20.3 million in available cash at month's end is far more than the $4.7 million raised and $3.7 million cash on hand in May.
The DNC also noted that it raised $6 million more in June than it did in March 2004, the month when John F. Kerry clinched the nomination.
And the DNC announced today that it has inked a joint fund-raising agreement with the Obama campaign and 18 state Democratic parties: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Mexico,Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The list includes several traditionally Republican states where Obama hopes to win and where Democrats hope to pick up congressional seats.
“This is going to help us build the party up and down the ticket in all of those states,” Brad Woodhouse, a DNC spokesman said in a statement.
Typical coverage of Dem vs. GOP (Greedy Old Party) fund-raising. The headline makes it sound like the Dems are drowning in cash. Not until the 4th paragraph does it reveal that the Publicans actually have more cash in the bank than the Dems. There should be more emphasis on the total funds available to elect (or defeat) a candidate. At the end of the day, it's highly likely that TOTAL spending by the GOP will exceed the Dems, when all the PAC and RNC money gets added in.
It's still not enough money. You better believe that the massive corporations are going to fight to keep control of the government out of the hands of American citizens with every dollar they can.
How long will it take for conservative America to wake up and start digging deep. Is it already to too late to stop the socialist from ruining our great land.
This is to confirm my support for OBAMA opting out of so-called public financing.His campaign represents real public financing.With over 2 mil small donors so far,OBAMA'S campaign should be the standard of what public financing really means.The other system represents gov. financing.The GOP has only just bagan the propaganda smear campaign,and with the 527s plotting in the dark,OBAMA will need much more money just to stay competitive in the general election.
The Democrats and the American people cannot afford to loose this election. Not only is our economy in a downward slide, not only are we involved in the wrong war to defeat terrorism, but that other branch of government - the Supreme Court - is at stake in this election. With three of the prochoice members likely to leave the court in the next 4 - 8 years, the next President will have the chance to shape the court for the next two generations. We must support pro-choice Obama to make him the next President to protect women's privacy and reproductive choices. I'm writing another check today!
Idiots. Do some math, 52 + 55 + 22 = 129. Just because Obama has 92 cashon on hand and McCain has 93 does not mean the Republicans have more. Obama jsut spends it faster, he is consistently receiving more they are jsut saving about the same amount to be used later. Obama lied about wanting to have a publicly funded election. He is a liar in general and will say whatever it takes to get elected, then change his mind when it's convenient.
-a democrat
All those who really want to stop the 12 billion a month going to Iraq and the unnecessary loss of life and limb there should write a check out to Obama for America today. I am a Vietnam veteran with a son just back from Iraq thank the lord in OK shape and I join the thousands of other veterans for Obama in asking you to get the better option for us into the White House.
Want to see the true cost of George W.s wrong war please visit the local veterans hospital and take a look at the disaster.
Barack and Roll in 2008!
The most disgusting part is not whether one party or the other out-raises and out -spends the other. What appals and angers me is that we have individuals and organizations in this country who labor hard and long to serve and help others (including the questionable 'leaders' of this country) and struggle from paycheck to paycheck (or payroll to payroll). Yet these 'small' people who claim to be leaders, their roles and responsibilities withstanding, continue to thrive with little or no effort on their part and yet complain and constantly have their hands out for more. I put them in the same ball park as the over-paid prima donnas of the sports and entertainment industries. The funds raised in one month by the two parties would easily fund the annual budget of many who truely and lastingly serve others.
Perhaps my problem is, I'm not sure who is more disgusting to me, the ones who throw their money down these black holes or the black holes themselves.
In the fourth paragraph a comparison is drawn between Obama's funds and McCain's funds combined with RNC funds. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison.
The DNC's funds are mentioned in the ninth paragraph. They are miniscule in comparison to RNC funds in part because of the protracted Democratic primary process. Even so, with their addition Obama comes out ahead--until one remembers his pledge to assist Ms. Clinton to the tune of $20 million.That's a good reason for omitting the DNC numbers: as of right now, they've effectively been negated.
Why is our nation obsessed with who has enough money to buy the Presidency. Our highest office has become an Ebay Auction for our country. Sad we are no longer the strong, well respected nation we used to be. Between who has the most cash and who the media wants elected the average man has no say whatsoever in the election. Even our electoral system has become a joke. Frankly I wish some really concerned and able minded person would run. We need a real candidate who is not involved with either party but an independent who can really run this country and put it back on it's feet, not just a party puppet with the most advertising dollars.
those da
Remember that in the last state primaries including the big state of Pennsylvania, Obama outspent Clinton by many millions, and yet still lost by 10 points or more. Money can help get the message out, but people may not buy it.
Obama succeeded in fooling a lot of young innocent people to donate to his campaign. These kids may be using their parents' money to do it. And their poor parents, who are working hard and had no time to watch the primaries, are now shocked to find who Obama really is, and their money has been spent to support him.
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