Al Gore Hosting Major Fundraising Event For DNC Uniting Clinton And Obama Donors
Al Gore is set to do a major fundraising event uniting top Hillary and Obama donors on behalf of the Democratic National Committee on May 31st, a sign that the Dem fundraising establishment is beginning to unite and ramp up in earnest for the general election.
The event features prominent donors on both sides, as you can see if you click on the image of the invite (which was forwarded our way by a source) to enlarge...
Of those listed on the invite, Maureen White, Robert Zimmerman and Al Puchala are major Hillary backers. Meanwhile, Orin Kramer, Mitchell Draizing, Brian Mathis and Jamie Whitehead are Obama supporters.
There's a lot of chatter out there to the effect that the Republican National Committee is outraising its counterpart, the DNC, in advance of the general election.
While this won't mean that Obama won't have a financial advantage against McCain, given his astonishing fundraising success, Obama backers would of course like to see the DNC as flush as the RNC, and will be cheered by signs that the Dem donor and fundraising establishment is uniting -- in this case, with the help of Al Gore -- to gear up for the general.
For the privilege of attending this particular Gore event, donors are being asked to shell out up to $28,500 apiece.
we're having some problems with moveable type. pls let me know if you have trouble commenting, if you would
May 19, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Greg, Greg, Greg...what exactly was that?
elite donors backing Obama.. Good thing you removed those offending lines...But I saw them anyway, otherwise you were on your way to a new low!
May 19, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
no elite donors back obama?
May 19, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're too funny.
May 19, 2008 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Are they any more elite than Clinton's donors?
May 19, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
He didn't mean "elite." He meant "e-lite", because this invitationwas sent via the USPS, not over the tubes we techno-savvy call the internets.
And just for historical reference, I would include in any definition of "elite" Messrs Jefferson, Jackson, Wilson, Roosevelt (Franklin D.), and Kennedy. Twenty years from now, it would be nice for historians to include Obama somewhere in a list like that, even if the first three wouldn't have had the Obamas to dinner.
May 19, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
So why did you remove that line then Greg?
May 19, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why are you still piling on?
May 19, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
To object to a line that says "elite donors backing Obama" is odd, given that Obama has many many elite donors backing him.
May 19, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
The point is the line was used only in reference to Obama and not Clinton when we all know that both sides indeed do have elite backers.That and the fact that it perpetuated the "Obama as elitist" meme.Furthermore the fact that Greg quickly removed the line proves his error.
There!
May 19, 2008 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lighten up, would you? The level of nitpicking that Greg and ERic's work receives is a little out of control. Try running your own blog, tracking down your own stories, building your own contacts and creating your own content in the time frame that they work in.
The fact that out of the thousands and thousands of words that they each write some might be questionable is hardly a sign of bias, or perpetuating a particular "meme", or any of the other accusations people have hurled at them. By the law of averages, something like that is going to happen.
So lighten up.
May 19, 2008 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it is a valid question. I think Greg did himself a disservice by replying snarkily. I also don't think there is any evidence of systemic bias against Obama by Greg. I assume he has a hand in writing the TOP 5s in the daily email and one of them recently was a hilarious slam on Clinton re the powerpoints:
1) Hillary Campaign Emails Out "Electability" Power-Point To All House Dems
Super-delegates are suckers for colorful slides. (Election Central)
2) Obama's Super-Delegates Keep on Coming
Obama racks up 8 super-delegates, despite his decision not to make a Power-Point presentation. (Election Central)
May 19, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can you be a little more concrete here? I haven't heard this - all I've read and heard is that the RNC is in deep money trouble, McCain is in deep money trouble - I have never heard or read that they are outraising the Democrats. Can you link to something, please, Greg?
May 19, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hi Tena,
There was this on Halperin's Time page yesterday. I haven't read the Boston Globe article he references :-| but Halperin's excerpt sounds troubling.
"RNC Seeks $120 Mil to Help Fight Obama
Boston Globe: While the Democratic candidates have far outraised their GOP rivals so far this election, the Republican National Committee is “quietly banking millions more than its Democratic counterpart” for the general."
http://thepage.time.com/2008/05/18/rnc-seeks-120-mil-to-help-fight-obama/
May 19, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you.
:)
May 19, 2008 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's not chatter--the RNC does have more cash than the DNC.
But the two congressional entities are floundering, badly, in comparison to the DNCC and DSCC. (or whatever the alphabet versions are).
To me, that's significant. The congressional committees have lots of cash to throw into congressional races (for the Dems). The presumptive nominee for the Democrats has demonstrated mindblowing fundraising abilities.
The presumptive Republican nominee is going to need more help from the RNC, thereby deluting the amount the RNC can toss into Congressional races.
What's not to like about this?
Good news, anyway, that the DNC is revving up the money chase.
May 19, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's why the DCCC called me again the other day.
The guy wouldn't take no for an answer - I had to hang up on him.
I just sent them a bunch of money - a month ago.
May 19, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
DCCC. I knew I was getting the initials screwed up.
May 19, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Took me forever and 3 checks to finally get it, CT.
May 19, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
"The event features prominent donors on both sides... Of those listed on the invite, Maureen White, Robert Zimmerman and Al Puchala are major Hillary backers. Meanwhile, Orin Kramer, Mitchell Draizing, Brian Mathis and Jamie Whitehead are Obama supporters."
Good. Maybe when they hobnob over cheese and wine for a night they'll remember that they actually agree on most things and like each other. The only thing that scares me at all about a GE vs. McCain is Clinton supporters holding back from Obama.
May 19, 2008 11:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Like Geraldine Ferraro, for instance? Who said she may not vote for Obama? Or those two Hillary supporters who appeared on Bill O'Reilly's show?
I think the fundraisers will have no problem getting over the heat of the campaign. As for those Clinton supporters above? Who knows? I hope so. And if not, I hope they're the tiny minority.
May 19, 2008 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Geraldine can explain to the grandkids why it's A Good Thing when (heaven forbid) a President McCain is appointing all those swell "strict constructionists" to the Supreme Court.
May 19, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm having a really hard time with Ferraro, right now. As a leader in the Democratic party, she needs to be leading the effort for unity, not painting the presumptive nominee as a sexist and saying she won't vote for him. She'd rather see McCain win the nomination?! She'd rather see more conservative appointees to the Supreme Court and the overturning of Roe v. Wade? Her behavior is the height of folly and I'd really like to see someone in the upper ranks of the party call her out.
May 19, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, you and me both.
I wonder if she has the first clue how this makes her look? Old and bitter.
May 19, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Could this be a signal of big things to come?
In an ABC News interview, Michelle Obama on her husband picking Sen. Hillary Clinton: "I think the world of Hillary Clinton, particularly as a woman...There is no way that I would say absolutely not to one of the most successful and powerful and groundbreaking women on this planet."
May 19, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
She was being nice.
May 19, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
holy hell thats a nice piece of change
May 19, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
I assume that the DNC rules committee will have help its much-ballyhooed meeting by the time these events begin and will have made some decision re: Michigan and Florida. Is the timing of this coincidental or will this likely be the first event following full and indisputable knowledge that Obama is the nominee?
-
Obama/Olbermann '08!
May 19, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
^held, not help^
May 19, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oilbama finally takes the lead on something:
Obama to GOP: "Lay Off My Wife"
And he said be nice to Clinton supporters.
What a leader.
Geez.
May 19, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Waiting for your number one fan...
May 19, 2008 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're just phoning it in these days, gotnolife.
May 19, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seriously.
C'mon, gotalife! Get some rest. Recharge those batteries, so you can go back to being the gotalife we know and razz.
May 19, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I know, IN sucked the life out of him.
C'mon, GotALife, have a sip of our delicious Kool Aid. It's good for you!
May 19, 2008 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Goatshite is the Vancouver Cat Lady.
She makes some occasional cameo appearances on The Simpsons, just to throw a few of her feral cats at Marge.
May 19, 2008 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, it was refreshing. I hope to see more but am not holding my breath.
May 19, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seriously Gotalife - what kind of CRAP leader would do this. Leaders don't UNIFY - they LEAD!
Complete Kool Aid.
Gotalife - I gotta say though - you were talking really weird over the weekend - almost as if your posts were about to take a massive change in tone.
Hoping something like that never happens...
May 19, 2008 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
The real question is whether big Hillary donors will now move to Obama and donate the max to both Obama ($2300 for the primary and $2300 for the general) and the DNC (apparently $28,500?).
Also, from the FEC reports I've seen, it's not just chatter that the RNC is outraising the DNC; it's a fact.
May 19, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I get that now.
I haven't been reading FEC reports. I'm a fanatic, but I know I can count on someone on the board having done the heavy lifting for me.
LOL!
May 19, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can I ask a totally off-topic question that I haven't seen addressed anywhere? Does anyone have any theories as to why Obama hasn't been campaigning at ALL in KY? I understand that it's pretty heavy Clinton country, but from my admittedly lacking political understanding, it doesn't look great to be completely ignoring a state, and it seems to me he could be closing the gap at least a little bit if he were doing some stops there.
I have two theories on this. One is that by not even trying in KY, the Clinton camp can't push the old "He outspent us 500 to 1 and campaigned hard in KY and couldn't close the deal" meme. My other thought is that maybe he is trying to give her a high note to bow out on (WV, KY or PR), but I really don't see anyone leaving the race till after all the primaries.
Can someone make some sense of this for me?
May 19, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Opportunity cost. He knows that it's done, money is better spent in Iowa, Michigan, etc. Kentucky wasn't going to vote for him in the Fall, he doesn't need their vote in the primary, so he doesn't spend the time/money in a losing effort there.
It's just shows how incredibly well thought-out his campaign strategy is; they've managed to be one step ahead of everyone else for the last year. For that matter, they're still being dynamic in their tactics, making ongoing shifts as new issues/opportunities arise. A campaign is fluid, your strategy needs to be fluid to succeed.
My family is from Morehead, KY. My great-grandfather judged a man on on two points: how he shook your hand, and whether or not he was a republican. There's a lot of people like that out there that won't be swayed, at all. At this point in the game, there's no reason to spend money in that state for the primary. Go back for the GE.
May 19, 2008 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, the prevailing wisdom is that he's simply moving into general election mode. He knows that he has this thing sown up, regardless of the KY outcome, and is using his time to take the battle to McSame in potential swing states. Although he will lose big in KY, remember that he also lost big in WV and yet managed to completely kill that story the very next day with the Edwards endorsement. Since he will likely get the majority of delegates tomorrow, he will declare victory, offer accolades to Clinton, and take his campaign national.
May 19, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks to both of you for your insight. :)
May 19, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is encouraging but leaves me wondering if this is an attempt to retire HRC's $20+M in campaign debt including the $11.4M the campaign owes her personally. FEC Rules require that the debt is retired prior to the end of the Primaries June 3rd or Hillary is out her dough--not that it'll break her...but BHO supporters are loathe to pay off Mark Penn or HRC for that matter...
Anybody have a sense for how the cash at Al Gore's event will be split (?)...thx...
May 19, 2008 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hopefully it will be used for the general election. A rough calculation: a $50 donation to Clinton would buy about 1 second of the services of Mark Penn (& Co) to her campaign.
May 19, 2008 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought she had until the convention?
May 19, 2008 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not one to spam or play Chicken Little, but the sky IS falling.
May 19, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink