How Obama reinvented campaign finance

Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, June 24th, 2008 - 15 comments
Categories: election funding - Tags: , , ,

Click for the full-res version.

(an infographic by XPLANE)

15 comments on “How Obama reinvented campaign finance ”

  1. burt 1

    So he got access to vast sums of money because people supported him – how quaint… He didn’t steal it? are you sure?

    Hopefully he did steal it, then he will be a real politician and worthy of our support.

  2. James Kearney 2

    Burt = Boring.

  3. Matthew Pilott 3

    Burt, just two days ago I saw r0b, for the nth time, destroy your stealing/retrospective bullshit. Don’t tell me you’re going to get it up and running again?

  4. Very interesting post and am impressive result. New Zealand politicians have a long way to go when it comes to harnessing the power of the internet.

    Helen Clark has however managed to still reinvent campaign finance.

  5. Scribe 5

    What, no comment on the fact Obama promised multiple times to use public campaign financing during the general election but has no reneged on that deal because he sees how much money he’s raising privately?

    Even the Democratic strategists are acknowledging that it’s basically a sign that Obama is “just another politician”.

    Captcha: Washington knife. hee hee

  6. Pascal's bookie 6

    What Scribe? No mention of the fact that McCain is breaking the Campaign Finance laws that bear his name?

  7. Scribe 7

    Touche, PB 😉

    But we were talking about Obama, weren’t we?

    We already know McCain’s just like any other politician — he’s been in the game too long to be anything but. Obama is running a campaign on change and getting away from “same old Washington”, so every time he falls into the usual political traps of flip-flopping, his Golden Boy image gets tarnished a little bit.

  8. Pascal's bookie 8

    “Democratic strategists ” good one 😉 Obama got where he is by thrshing the pants off of washington Dem strategists.

    I don’t think anyone doubts that Obama is a politician, but he has already shown that he is a different sort of politician. For one thing, he gets lot’s of small donations and doesn’t need to rely on lobbyists and the crappy public financing system that McCain designed.

    But your right about how people are talking, and it’s not the best look. I don’t think that this issue will hurt him however, and I’m enjoying watching the GOP go gagas about it.

    It’s the economy stupids. And the war. On those issues Obama is a different sort of poltician. He’s a dem that fights back.

  9. Stephen 9

    Wow. If this is possible, is that a blow against public financing of election campaigns?? I was thinking that if you can’t convince people to donate, then you probably can’t convince them to vote for you…although this might enable the rich to ‘buy’ parties. But THIS kind of money from small donations!? Makes you think.

  10. roger nome 10

    Stephen – the US campaign funding system would be fine if third-party spending was properly regulated/limited. But then there’s the media oligopoly where only five or so conglomerates form the US public’s opinions. Some them have some very political interests – i.e. own weapons manufacturing companies

  11. Just for you roger nome, can you believe this clown?

    http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=67735

  12. T-rex 12

    Who are you referring to as a clown in this instance Captain Justice?

  13. Stephen 13

    That article really is a ‘cry me a river’ one.

  14. Stephen 14

    What does the media oligopoly have to do with public financing of political campaigns roger?

  15. roger nome 15

    Stephen – was a general comment on US’s electoral system – the MSM plays a huge role in it. I thought that was obvious.