Obama backtracks, opts out of public money

[cutthemdown]

85 million not enough for Obama now that he really is the frontrunner. Saying he would take the money out of politics by taking only public funding worked when he was a nobody but now that he's the man, well he's really showing us what change is all about.

Obama has lied again. This isn't changing your mind on an issue this was a bald faced lie.

McCain should just take the 85 million and hope that he can use this flip flop to his advantage.

[Taco John]

That's great. Taxpayers should not be on the hook for these campaigns that can raise their own funds. McCain should agree to not take public money for his campaign too. I know that fake "conservatives" are going to criticize this move, but it will be hypocritical of them to do so. Especially considering how strongly against McCain/Feingold so many of them were.

This is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

[Dudeskey]

but... he's a "socialist" ???

[BroncoBuff]

I believe the Obama "promise" was actually a quote close to this: "I am open to exploring an agreement where both candidates can agree to take public funding." I don't think it was a promise, or a signature or anything.

On the other hand, John McCain borrowed a huge chunk of money when his campaign was derailed, and he secured the loan with the promise of federal matching funds. I don't fully understand it, but some have said he's stuck now taking matching funds because of that. Besides, he prolly can't raise enough money to exceed federal funds on his own.

[Rigs11]

I believe the Obama "promise" was actually a quote close to this: "I am open to exploring an agreement where both candidates can agree to take public funding." I don't think it was a promise, or a signature or anything.

On the other hand, John McCain borrowed a huge chunk of money when his campaign was derailed, and he secured the loan with the promise of federal matching funds. I don't fully understand it, but some have said he's stuck now taking matching funds because of that. Besides, he prolly can't raise enough money to exceed federal funds on his own.

And to top it all off, he has his wife fly him around.

[TexanBob]

All it means is that Obama has a way to launder George Soros' billions so there is no reason to be bound by the public trough. Maybe the Clintons have also agreed to share their Chinese money bundlers. Maybe Al Gore will get his Tibetan monks to chip in.

[Taco John]

All it means is that Obama has a way to launder George Soros' billions so there is no reason to be bound by the public trough. Maybe the Clintons have also agreed to share their Chinese money bundlers. Maybe Al Gore will get his Tibetan monks to chip in.

You're like a hyperbole machine, huh?

[broncocalijohn]

If someone wants to backtrack on an issue like this, who cares? McCain has every right to use public money and I would not critize either candidate for it. They are running for the highest office in America and it is down to these two candidates. Be more concerned that Kucinich type of politicians use public money when they are so out of the loop. It is there for Obama to use if he likes. I dont like Obama on many issues, but this isnt one of them. I just hope he doesnt use this as some campaign point.

[TexanBob]

You're naive if you think Obama is passing up public funds without knowing who is going to pay for all those tv ads. For a one-term senator with few visible signs of wealth and no key committee chairmanships, you have to wonder where the war chest is coming from. My guess is the Left's favorite sugar daddy, the one who fronts MoveOn.org, Media Matters and a host of left-wing causes from his mansions in Switzerland.

The Left was hysterical about Richard Mellon Scaife's influence in the 1990s yet Soros makes Scaife look like a street-side beggar. At least Scaife was an American. Soros ain't even that.

[TexanBob]

If someone wants to backtrack on an issue like this, who cares? McCain has every right to use public money and I would not critize either candidate for it. They are running for the highest office in America and it is down to these two candidates. Be more concerned that Kucinich type of politicians use public money when they are so out of the loop. It is there for Obama to use if he likes. I dont like Obama on many issues, but this isnt one of them. I just hope he doesnt use this as some campaign point.

FWIW, I'm happy Obama is eschewing public funds and would be just as happy if McCain did likewise. Public financing of campaigns is a bad idea anyway. If you can't raise the money to run the commercials you want to run, it either means you're a lousy campaigner or you're not "all in" devoting your own resources.

I'm just suspicious of who's bankrolling Obama. Rezko? Wright? Somebody is paying the freight and it isn't Ma and Pa Kettle sending him nickles and dimes.

[Taco John]

You're naive if you think Obama is passing up public funds without knowing who is going to pay for all those tv ads. For a one-term senator with few visible signs of wealth and no key committee chairmanships, you have to wonder where the war chest is coming from. My guess is the Left's favorite sugar daddy, the one who fronts MoveOn.org, Media Matters and a host of left-wing causes from his mansions in Switzerland.

The Left was hysterical about Richard Mellon Scaife's influence in the 1990s yet Soros makes Scaife look like a street-side beggar. At least Scaife was an American. Soros ain't even that.



You don't follow politics too closely do you?

Obama has created the most significant grassroots money machine in the history of presidential campaigning. Soros could go to sleep between now and 2016, and Obama would still outraise McCain by a pretty significant margin. Politics has never seen the kind of grass roots money machine that Obama has managed to put together. It took down the Clintons in relatively short order -- ran them right into the ground until they were lending themselves money.

I understand that the name Soros is a bad word to some of the partisan types who don't actually keep their eye on the ball. You should just be aware that it gives you away when you talk about it on a public forum where people actually know their stuff.

[Taco John]

Somebody is paying the freight and it isn't Ma and Pa Kettle sending him nickles and dimes.

You really need to catch up...

Here's a good place to start:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10868.html

[Taco John]

Also, Soros can only donate a maximum of $2300 dollars, just like anyone else.

[broncocalijohn]

FWIW, I'm happy Obama is eschewing public funds and would be just as happy if McCain did likewise. Public financing of campaigns is a bad idea anyway. If you can't raise the money to run the commercials you want to run, it either means you're a lousy campaigner or you're not "all in" devoting your own resources.

I'm just suspicious of who's bankrolling Obama. Rezko? Wright? Somebody is paying the freight and it isn't Ma and Pa Kettle sending him nickles and dimes.

They do it for the everyday guy can run which you know never will happen. It does make you wonder if he got his money and wants this to make McCain look bad. He gets donations from everyday people, but is it enough to run th elast 4 months of campaining? Obama isnt rich compared to the others in Congress so I see where you are coming from on this issue.

[peacepipe]

FWIW, I'm happy Obama is eschewing public funds and would be just as happy if McCain did likewise. Public financing of campaigns is a bad idea anyway. If you can't raise the money to run the commercials you want to run, it either means you're a lousy campaigner or you're not "all in" devoting your own resources.

[B]I'm just suspicious of who's bankrolling Obama. Rezko? Wright? Somebody is paying the freight and it isn't Ma and Pa Kettle sending him nickles and dimes.

actually it is, over 1.5 million donors & still counting.

[snowspot66]

Look how much Ron Paul made with his effort.

You'd be crazy to say a young and charismatic contender for a major party in a VERY favorable climate couldn't take advantage of the same setup.

[Traveler]

Excellent move by Obama! Now he can force Mac-Cane to spent his limited amount of funds defending both republican strong holds and battleground states.

If nothing else, Obama has established another way to publicly finance a campaign while also limiting the role of lobbyists.

[TexanBob]

My God, you people are such dupes! You REALLY think Obama is being financed by a bunch of $50 checks? I know that's the **** they are telling you (it's what every campaign tells you), but if you really think a relatively poor man like Obama is going to pass up public money without some sugar daddy paying his way, you people are simply too blind to have an intelligent discussion with.

And as for the $2300 limit, that's a joke and everyone knows it. The Clintons were masters at laundering money from Tibetan monks, Chinese dishwashers and anywhere else.

Seriously, if you believe this is all from little public donations, you folks are so blind you couldn't feel your own ass without somebody giving you directions.

I had no idea I was dealing with such dupes. Politically misguided, maybe, but this blind and stupid? I'm stunned. Really stunned. You have no clue about politics, do you?

[Bronco_Beerslug]

I had no idea I was dealing with such dupes. Politically misguided, maybe, but this blind and stupid? I'm stunned. Really stunned. You have no clue about politics, do you?Says the scholar who describes over half of Americans as "enemies"......classic!!

[TexanBob]

Find for me where I've said half, much less over half, Einstein.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Find for me where I've said half, much less over half, Einstein.Uh, when you singled out Democrats as "enemies", do the math hero.

[BroncoBuff]

My God, you people are such dupes! You REALLY think Obama is being financed by a bunch of $50 checks?
Why, yes. Yes I do.

[Drek]

85 million not enough for Obama now that he really is the frontrunner. Saying he would take the money out of politics by taking only public funding worked when he was a nobody but now that he's the man, well he's really showing us what change is all about.

Obama has lied again. This isn't changing your mind on an issue this was a bald faced lie.

McCain should just take the 85 million and hope that he can use this flip flop to his advantage.

Obama said he was willing to consider such an agreement, and that was AFTER he already smashed a ton of fund raising records in the primaries.

Obama wanted to get rid of 527's,and has pledged that he won't allow for any 527 advertising. McCain wouldn't give it up because he knows lobbyist and big corporation sponsored advertising entirely favors him.

So Obama's response is to go truly public with his financing, and turn to the financial power base that got him through the primaries, his average American supporters. People who believe in his message of change and have donated $20, $40, $60 at a time when they can to help power the only campaign they feel actually gives a damn about them.

[TexanBob]

Uh, when you singled out Democrats as "enemies", do the math hero.

You overestimate your numbers. There are more Democrats than Republicans but neither is a majority. There are plenty of independents out there too.

"In 2004, roughly 72 million (42.6 percent) Americans were registered Democrats, compared to 55 million (32.5 percent) Republicans and 42 million (24.8 percent) independents." - Wikipedia.

Do the math, yourself.

[Taco John]

My God, you people are such dupes! You REALLY think Obama is being financed by a bunch of $50 checks? I know that's the **** they are telling you (it's what every campaign tells you), but if you really think a relatively poor man like Obama is going to pass up public money without some sugar daddy paying his way, you people are simply too blind to have an intelligent discussion with.

And as for the $2300 limit, that's a joke and everyone knows it. The Clintons were masters at laundering money from Tibetan monks, Chinese dishwashers and anywhere else.

Seriously, if you believe this is all from little public donations, you folks are so blind you couldn't feel your own ass without somebody giving you directions.

I had no idea I was dealing with such dupes. Politically misguided, maybe, but this blind and stupid? I'm stunned. Really stunned. You have no clue about politics, do you?

http://bp2.blogger.com/_UMJPRMUyTLA/RqexgqVPTTI/AAAAAAAAAAs/PufHzLAIvG4/s400/n522306244_197290_3718.jpg

[TexanBob]

When the facts aren't on your side, rely on ridicule. Very cute.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

You overestimate your numbers. There are more Democrats than Republicans but neither is a majority. There are plenty of independents out there too.

"In 2004, roughly 72 million (42.6 percent) Americans were registered Democrats, compared to 55 million (32.5 percent) Republicans and 42 million (24.8 percent) independents." - Wikipedia.

Do the math, yourself.The math is pretty simple, you lumping in tens of millions of Americans as "enemies" because of party affiliation adds up to you being one ignorant warmonger. Bush and his buddy neocons would be proud.

[Taco John]

When the facts aren't on your side, rely on ridicule. Very cute.

Uh, well actually, my post was based on facts.

Your post was based on wild conjecture with a solid dash of plain crazy.

[Odysseus]

What is it? Eight threads all bashing Obama in the title and someone disagrees with you INSIDE the thread and THEY are the dupes? What a bunch of drama queens.

[Maximus]

Seriously, if you believe this is all from little public donations, you folks are so blind you couldn't feel your own ass without somebody giving you directions.

I had no idea I was dealing with such dupes. Politically misguided, maybe, but this blind and stupid? I'm stunned. Really stunned. You have no clue about politics, do you?

It would be pretty stupid to try and lie about donations that are tracked through the internet. Obama would need some serious coverup skills to get past a party that tried to impeach a sitting president for getting some head!

[Taco John]

I participated in every one of the Ron Paul money bombs. We had the tools to track how many people were donating, the rate they were donating at, how much the average donation was... You name it.

Overall, Ron Paul managed to raise $35 million dollars from individual contributions. College students donating $20 here, and $20 there. Mom and Pops who believed in the cause. Etc. It was completely grass roots driven.

All in all, Ron Paul had a donor base of about 200,000 people. Barack Obama has a 1.5 million donor base, which is about 7.5 times the number of donors that Paul had. To date, Barack Obama has received $264,593,051 (http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/summary.php?id=N00009638&cycle2=2008&goButt2.x=10&goButt2.y=7) from his donor base.

If I take Ron Paul's number ($35,000,000) and times it by 7.5, I come up with $262,500,000.

The math checks out. Obama's figures are legit. He's built the most impressive grass roots money machine in the history of American politics.

I don't think I need to say much more on the subject to validate what I've said in this thread. And quite honestly, for anyone who actually follows this stuff, this guy was enough:

http://bp2.blogger.com/_UMJPRMUyTLA/RqexgqVPTTI/AAAAAAAAAAs/PufHzLAIvG4/s400/n522306244_197290_3718.jpg


When the facts aren't on your side, rely on ridicule. Very cute.

The next fact you post in this thread will be the first.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

You're like a hyperbole machine, huh?

More like "outright disinfo machine."

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Excellent move by Obama! Now he can force Mac-Cane to spent his limited amount of funds defending both republican strong holds and battleground states.

If nothing else, Obama has established another way to publicly finance a campaign while also limiting the role of lobbyists.Exactly!

Obama's decision to forgo public funds permits him to use leftover primary money in the general election. McCain cannot.