April 2007: Obama Shows His Strength in a Fund-Raising Feat on Par With Clinton

[DanTex]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/us/politics/05obama.html

First quarter 2007 totals:
Clinton: $26M
Obama: $25M

Yeah, Obama was a long-shot, but he showed very early that he could match Hillary in fundraising, and had a legitimate chance at the nomination. This is one of the many big differences between Obama 2008 and Sanders 2016. Bernie is great, but if he wants to be a player, he's gonna have to at least come close to Hillary's money machine.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. We'll find out in the primary whether money is all that matters to Democrats.

As far as the general goes, Sanders has already had a stronger showing than every Republican launch to date.

[brooklynite]

3. Bearting in mind there are 20 or so Republicans to divide the cash between...

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

7. When it comes down to the general, it'll be one dem and one republican to 'divide the cash' between.

So I don't see that as anything meaningful in terms of the general.

[cali]

2. He can't come close to her in fundraising. he won't take money

from corporations or PACs. And as he points out, corporations won't donate to him anyway. He has said that he hope to raise $50 million for the primary and that he thinks he can compete with that amount.

Amusingly enough, Clinton doesn't care how much corporate money she gets or that sources for funding aren't transparent. She rails against big money in politics but it rings hollow.

With 50 million, Bernie can set up decent infrastructure in primary and caucus states.

[brooklynite]

4. How are the funds not transparent?

Every donation to Clinton (or Sanders) can be looked at on the FEC website.

[cali]

6. The problem is post CU

Super PACs and dark money groups. Look, when you set out to raise over 2 billion, keeping track of where all that money comes from is a herculean task.

Then there's this:
<snip>
Under executive director Buffy Wicks and longtime Clinton adviser Harold Ickes, Priorities is recruiting a new team of well-connected fundraisers – including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s former adviser and veteran fundraiser Brian Wolff – and streamlining its internal financial procedures to increase transparency after a nasty internal spat spilled into public view earlier this year

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/hillary-clintons-big-money-dilemma-117559.html#ixzz3YzUp1Cb3

[brooklynite]

12. ...And Clinton wants to overturn CU (she told me personally)

In the meantime, any candidate that doesn't play by the rules the Republicans will play by is living in a fantasy world.

[DanTex]

5. She's playing by the rules of the game.

I certainly don't want to go into the general election with a candidate that gets outspent 10-1 by the GOP. Do you?

[cali]

8. yep, she's playing by the "rules"

such as they are.

[Thinkingabout]

9. When you compare the 50 million Bernie is hoping to raise to the $42 million Elizabeth

Warren spent on running for the Senate and the primary will be in 50 states, it just might come up very short.

[cali]

10. I read that Hillary is planning to raise $100 million for the primary so it definitely

will come up short. That doesn't mean he can't be competitive in early caucus and primary states.

[Thinkingabout]

11. There is much more to an election than raising money, this just becomes a part of the process.

It has much more to do with the candidates.