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Obama Just Says No to 527's
Will he or won't he take public financing?
The answer is NO
He's going wire to wire with the ObamaNation
Obama Tells Major Donors Not to Fund Independent Groups
Donors and Democratic activists have been quietly debating Obama’s motives: Is he simply interested in keeping his Democratic efforts within his campaign, which is so well funded he doesn’t need outside help? Or is he, as some believe, cutting off funds to groups whose leaders – Brock and Podesta – some Obama aides view as too tightly linked to Clinton?
In either case, Pritzker’s words are the latest in Obama’s remarkably swift and complete consolidation of Democratic Party power. It’s an unprecedented seizure of control that has built him, over the course of a year, the most powerful field organization and the largest financial network in American politics, leaving many existing structures – traditional party organizations in many states, the Clintons’ long-nurtured national network – in the dust.
Just last summer, Matt Bai’s widely accepted analysis identified the “billionaires” and the “bloggers” as the key, emergent players in the Democratic Party’s infrastructure. But Obama has marginalized both groups. Pritzker’s words are part of a move to keep Obama’s grip on the sole important funnel of Democratic money this year. And his campaign has largely ignored the existing network of liberal bloggers, and actively opposes their embrace of fierce partisanship.
“Obama has created a number of significant infrastructure pieces through his campaign, displacing traditional groups the way he promised he would by signaling the end of the old politics of division and partisanship,” the blogger Matt Stoller wrote recently of Obama’s “consolidation of the party,” which he called “stunning.”
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Comments (6)
I don't think this is a good idea with McCain taking public money. This means that GOP supporters looking to make donations will simply find a 527 to give their money to. Essentially McCain made up the money difference by accepting public money.
There will be more 527 attack ads than there will be ads from McCain. And he can keep his hands clean while the "unaffiliated" Swift Boaters and the like scrape the bottom of the barrel and have to answer to no one.
There will be enough money in GOP 527's to run two minute Rev. Wright clips at every commercial break in the weeks leading up to the GE. If you think the swiftboaters were bad, you ain't seen nuthin yet.
May 13, 2008 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
And that McCain's 527s will be every bit as effective as Hillary has been with those kinds of tactics - not at all. True, some voters will succumb, but enough voters this year of every party are not fooled. Otherwise, Barack would already be out of the race and this would be a discussion about how bloody Hillary and McCain would be getting this year.
May 13, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whether you think it is a good idea or not, it is part of a larger plan
While we were sleeping it seems there's been a coup in the Democratic Party
Boy those in the Clinton machine must be pissed and looking for the exits to the New Regime
This is EXACTLY the plan. That was the overarching message at Camp Obama which trained cadres for the Primaries
Obama Organizing Fellows will carry on this summer for the general election.
This isn't a criticism; again, Obama made his bet that the country isn't into ideological combat and wants a politics of unity and hope, and he has won at internally. In terms of the 'Iron Law of Institutions', the Obama campaign is masterful. From top to bottom, they have destroyed their opponents within the party, stolen out from under them their base, and persuaded a whole set of individuals from blog readers to people in the pews to ignore intermediaries and believe in Barack as a pure vessel of change. It's actually very similar to Clinton from 1994-2000, where power and money in the Democratic Party is being centralized around a key iconic figure. He's consolidating power within the party.
Now here's the part that's unclear. Obama has successfully remade the Democratic Party already, and shown that old partisan Washington politics is over if you are a Democrat. Can he do that with Republicans? By stripping power, money and responsibility from outside groups and opponents, Obama is increasing his control of the party apparatus. He is also, however, putting everything on his own shoulders. When the Swift Boaters come back, and they will, it's all on Obama and his movement to hit back. He's betting that he can strip power from their base just as he stripped power from the old Washington way of doing politics within the Democratic Party.
May 13, 2008 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Transparency... and change.
Bold, not timid, moves.
Exactly what you expect from a President.
May 13, 2008 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
how disappointing. i was expecting some stupid, obfuscating comment from desidero or billy glad.
in honor of our two residents jackasses, allow me to attempt to fill the clown shoes left by them.
figures. what an elitist thug. why wouldn't he cut off funding to the 527 groups? they're staffed by hardworking white americans, who will now be out of work because obambi has decided to declare a race war against the decent, god-fearing citizens of this country.
how was that?
May 13, 2008 6:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this is a smart move. Obama Nation has reinvented the approach here ... it is not just dollars, but people. Reverting to 'old-style' swift-boating-style politics send exactly the wrong message. Exactly the opposite message, actually. I think will solidify and expand the base that has helped put him in the position he is in.
May 13, 2008 9:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
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