BS: Best candidate money can buy...

Subject: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: GUEST,beardedbruce
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 01:45 PM

Bruce, you have been politely asked and asked repeatedly NOT to do the cut and paste posts. You may excerpt a short piece and then LINK the article. You then should go on to give your opinion. This has been reviewed for you over and over and yet you continue to do it.

THIS THREAD IS CLOSED

Obama Spent More on Ads Than McCain Spent on Election (Update1)

By Jonathan D. Salant

Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama spent more on advertising last month than Republican rival John McCain spent on his campaign, new Federal Election Commission filings show.

Obama spent $57.2 million in July, including $33 million on advertising. McCain spent $32.4 million, with $18.7 million for ads.

McCain entered August with slightly more money than Obama when funds in the bank accounts of the Republican and Democratic party committees are included.

McCain, 71, is taking federal funds for the general election and therefore must drain his campaign bank account by the end of August. He boosted his spending by more than $5 million over the previous month. In addition to his ad spending, he spent $5.2 million on printing and postage. He has now spent $150 million on his presidential campaign.

Obama's spending also included $3 million on print and online advertisements. He has now spent $335.5 million.

The Democratic candidate ran far more TV, cable and radio commercials than McCain between June 4 and Aug. 1, the Nielsen Co. reported today. Obama aired 70,707 ads compared with 57,914 for McCain. Obama ran 7,387 ads in Florida, while McCain bypassed the Sunshine State.

In other battleground states, McCain was a more frequent commercial presence than Obama, running 10,136 ads in Ohio to 7,154 for Obama, 7,988 spots in Michigan to Obama's 6,597, and 7,426 commercials in Pennsylvania while Obama ran 6,130, said Nielsen, which is based in New York.

Bank Balances

McCain, an Arizona senator, reported a bank account balance of $21.4 million entering August in his FEC report. The Republican National Committee had $75.1 million in the bank, meaning that the party and the candidate had $96.5 million to spend. The RNC reported its first independent expenditures last month, spending $3.4 million against Obama.

Obama, 47, had $65.8 million in the bank, and the Democratic National Committee said it had $28.5 million, giving the candidate and his party more than $94 million.

Since sewing up the nomination, McCain has steadily increased his monthly fundraising haul. He brought in $26.2 million in July, including $5.5 million from a joint committee with the RNC, after raising $21.5 million in June. To date, he has raised more than $152 million, more than any other Republican candidate except for President George W. Bush in 2004.

He received $2,300 apiece from vanquished Republican rival Mitt Romney and his wife Ann. Mitt Romney has been mentioned as a potential vice-presidential pick.

Fundraising Trails

Even so, McCain's fundraising continued to trail Obama, who broke through the $50 million barrier for the second straight month and now has raised a record $390 million. Obama raised $50.3 million in July, including $12.6 million from a joint fundraising effort with the Democratic National Committee.

Obama, an Illinois senator, is not taking federal funds for the general election, the first major party nominee to shun the public money since the campaign finance system was overhauled for the 1976 elections as a result of the Watergate scandal.

McCain also raised $2.7 million to pay for legal and accounting costs incurred in the general election, bringing that fund's balance to $11.4 million.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: Little Hawk
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 01:58 PM

Chongo has been campaigning on less than $3 million a month for the last 3 months and he has more credibility in places like Duffy's Bar in Chicago than either McCain or Obama do.

That should tell you something. It's not how much money you spend, it's how you spend it.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 02:33 PM

Obama is also NOT taking any PAC money! Lots more of his funding has come from average, everyday folk who are happy to help out and pleased to be included. The way he has gone about it is very smart, imo. Everyone involved feels important and as though they have a hand in, instead of feeling the big money is all that is listened to.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: pdq
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 02:58 PM

In the 2000 presidential campaign, 31 donations of over one million dollars were recorded. The Democrats got 28 of them, the Republicans got only three. The only person I saw identified was the late Robert Altman, a Left-leaning Hollywood movie director.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: GUEST,beardedbruce
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:06 PM

Let me see... Obama gets twice as much in, I would HOPE that he gets more from everyday folk!

But even if HALF of what he gets is from individuals, that means that he is getting JUST AS MUCH net as McCain from those evil "bundles" and corporate lobbiests.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: Wesley S
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:10 PM

So - Bruce - we've read the cut and paste article. What do YOU think about all of this? McCain used to be for campain finance reform but he doesn't seem to talk about it much anymore. Or if he has I've missed it. The system is corrupt - but this year Obama just happens to have more money in his wallet. So it goes.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:25 PM

"Obama, an Illinois senator, is not taking federal funds for the general election, the first major party nominee to shun the public money since the campaign finance system was overhauled for the 1976 elections as a result of the Watergate scandal. "


As a senator, what did he do to "fix" the problem? I think there are a few bills by McCain about this, but show me any by Obama.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:27 PM

Several donors were noted who gave specifically for a new DNC headquarters building: click.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: Bobert
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:41 PM

Not to fear, bb... When the right winged 527's get warmed up they will make Obama look like just another guy in the soup line...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: Alice
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:48 PM

Check the facts... not only on Obama and McCain campaigns, but congressional campaigns, too.

GO TO

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.php
click on the donor demographics ad to see contribution sizes.

Alice

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:49 PM

SO, should I just assume that if a conservative spends money getting a point across, it is "buying the election", but if a liberal spends money getting a point across, it is "expressing the will of the people"????




Now I understand- Heads you win, tails I lose...

Mu opinion is that BOTH candidates are spending money that could probably solve real problems if used properly.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: Alice
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:54 PM

In case that link does not open up for you, here are the facts at this point in the campaign:


Obama % of donors of $200 or LESS 48%
McCain % of donors of $200 or LESS 28%

Obama % of donors of $2,300 or MORE 26%
McCain % of donors of $2,300 or MORE 53%

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: Alice
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:58 PM

Bruce, I think you need a nap.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 04:07 PM

Bruce, you never gave your opinion/take. You just posted the info. So, now that I pointed out Obama gets a lot of his money from individuals who don't have a lot to give, you've put your own spin on that with your cynical take as usual. Don't put words in my mouth, so to speak. Here's something I will say that you may quote, I think it is obscene what it has come to in cost of money, time, and energy for anyone to be elected to the presidency and/or any other position. But, what would you have them do? Pledge to not spend anything? It would have to be a unanimous decision, with no one deviating the least little bit. Wouldn't work, would it? It'd be like trying to close up Pandora's Box, intact.

No one is buying the election; they are simply trying to outdo the other guy in 30 second sound bites, which is really sick in its own way, imo. I suppose if we followed any kind of precedent, Obama would just stop, now, and give the election to McCain to keep the GOP from having to steal it, again.

Subject: RE: BS: Best candidate money can buy...
From: Alice
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 04:40 PM

We have a huge country to cover in order to reach all voters with information. We have to be realistic that in the geographic area of all 50 states, it takes money to set up local campaign offices and cover all the phone, printing, media time, etc. that it takes to communicate a presidential candidate's message.

It would be great if somehow each major candidate could be funded equal to the opponent, but even if we paid for that with taxpayer funds, it still would be a huge amount to provide info to all voters.

I personally want to get all the information I can about candidates before I vote. There is a congressional candidate here in Montana, a Democrat, who has decided to do NO campaigning. Now, that, I think is crazy. He makes a point of not putting any information out about the issues. I tried to find info before the primary, and there simply was none. Then I heard him interviewed, and he was proud to say he was not campaigning. I don't know how he won the primary. I voted for the other Democratic candidate who DID have a web site with statements on the issues.

I am glad to see that we have a Democratic candidate, Obama, who is getting record support from the grassroots... first time contributors and small contributors.