Yet Another Dem-Aligned Outside Group Closes Up Shop
Another Dem-leaning independent group has now closed up shop: The Fund for America, a group formed in preparation for the 2008 race that raised money from the Democratic Party's heaviest-hitting donors, including George Soros.
It's yet another sign of just how rapidly Obama is remaking the Democratic Party machinery in his own image: Fund for America is closing up because the Obama camp signaled to its big money people to stop giving to such groups.
It's only the latest such organization to follow Obama's will: Progressive Media USA, the group led by Media Matters' David Brock, recently announced that it would not be running ads in the general election. And MoveOn recently shuttered its 527, as first reported here.
It's worth stressing again what a major gamble this is on Obama's part: In exchange for centralizing control of his message within his campaign, he's effectively disarmed these big-spending groups, even as the GOP is almost certain to ramp up outside activities on its side. Of course, Obama's enormously successful fundraising could render that activity moot.
I think this is a neccessary step if Obama is to actually raise the 300 million plus dollars that the media keeps reporting. He can't have outside groups competing for those dollars when he needs them to get his message out. Also he has no control over the message that these groups produce. Message discipline is a major problem for DEMS and cannot be repeated this election.
June 26, 2008 10:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
agreed, think it will work.
June 26, 2008 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
DEM party discipline will be better this year because they so want to win. I have been really suprised by how quickly people are getting in line behind Obama especially after the tough primary race.
DEMS in my view need to keep it simple---talk "Change", "Bush-McCain (Third Term), The Economy and Iraq.
They can throw in talk on Healthcare, Energy, Global Warming to flesh ut the message but the big four ideas are those. If they keep it simple they win big.
June 26, 2008 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Note that the DNC is $50 million behind the RNC for fundraising, and that's money that's going straight to the Presidential election.
June 26, 2008 10:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Except Obama *wouldn't* be competing for those dollars. Obama can only raise $2,300 more from everyone, but the outside groups can raise unlimited funds from the wealthy. So Obama would be going after the first $2.3k, and the groups would be going after the rest.
So it's effectively different pools of money.
June 26, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can someone please address this? Thanks.
June 26, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?
If Soros, Bing and all the other rich progressives no longer give unlimited amounts to 527s but instead give the $2,300 max to Obama and the $28,500 max to the DNC, who makes up the difference for all of their money that our side will no longer be getting (via the 527s)? Are we saying the entire difference will be raised via $2,300 contributions to Obama's campaign and $28,500 to the DNC?. So we have that many people to more than make up the difference and remain vitally competitive against the Republicans???
I see the message discipline that comes with this and the arguable 'high road' aspect, but can someone please explain how this will or won't create a money deficit?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
June 26, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think taking the 527s out of the picture is important and provides a potential line of attack against McCain, who will do nothing to rein in his 527s, however that potential 300 million in contributions is pure media hyperbole.
June 26, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
this is sad i really dont pay attention to these outside groups but, obama is going to need these groups to point out what McCain is doing wrong or his latest controversies
June 26, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why can't Obama do that himself?
June 26, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Frankly, I am not convinced he is hitting hard enough. The MSM has yet to really go after McCain's flip flops and gaffes, Olbermann does, but he is not MSM. My mother saw Obama on Fox yesterday and said he made "horrible remarks"......the 527's have very good ads. Get his organizations approval before running them, but don't cut them off.
Even when Obama disagrees with McCain, he will compliment some little thing about him. Sadly, this is not working. And that is simply because of the love affair McCain has with the media. They were all over Michelle Obama for nothing, yet where has there been any mention of Cindy McCain's drug addiction? You know if that were Michelle is would be news for months. When will John McCain's moral issues come up, or lack of, numerous affairs? If Obama expects to get his message out fairly, I just have a bad feeling. But then, FISA added to my bad feeling. He disappointed, and now I wonder if he will keep disappointing. And I was one of his biggest fans. Even Olbermann implied that last night.
June 26, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sadly, this is not working
I dunno. The vast majority of polls show Obama's strategy is working just fine.
Also, check out this for more info on FISA: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/26/62819/0991/926/542170
Hat tip: CT Voter
June 26, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hope so.
Cederico, that's an excellent point about message discipline. And you're right about there not being competing forces for people's dollars.
June 26, 2008 10:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
And less junk mail in my box from said groups begging for money. It's a good thing.
It used to be like going to the park to feed the pigeons. You drop one bread crumb, and suddenly you have hundreds of birds at your feet begging for more, except you only have a small bag of bread crumbs. Some of the pigeons are either going hungry, or expending much effort from the other people in the park who might or might not have any bread crumbs left.
June 26, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah...it would be better is people gave to the campaign itself or to the DNC. The DNC can accept the higher donations but since Obama has control there he therefore controls the message.
DEMS need to be on the same page. They are poised for a potential big presidential victory and large gains in the Senate and the House. If that happens then the griping on issues like FISA wont he happening because the big obstacle to getting better legislation is gone...namely Geogre Bush and his BFF John McCain.
June 26, 2008 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is not hitting hard enough, and McCain with Rove will hit and hit and hit. And sadly, that is politics in America, and that is what wins elections. Did you see Josh's note on Maine yesterday, how Obama has dropped quite a bit and McCain has taken the lead? That is because McCain is all over the airways and Obama is nowhere to be seen. The 527's could be filling these holes, and frankly, I think their ads are much more effective (think John Cusack) than Obama's.
Personally, get Obama's campaign to approve the 527 ads, but don't cut them off. I think this could really hurt him. And frankly, with not taking public funds (I agree with this) and FISA (I think he played total politician, greatly disappointed) he has already raised doubts among his supporters.
June 26, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Campaigns can't coordinate with 527s. It's against the law.
June 26, 2008 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Do you really believe that "it's against the law" would stop anyone?
September 15, 2008 10:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is basically signaling that he'll be running exactly the kind of Kerry-esque campaign that I've believed all along was the only way he could lose. So much for all the folks telling us to trust him because he's such a political genius.
June 26, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Kerry-esque campaign?
What are you basing that on? Nothing about his campaign has been "Kerry-esque" thus far. He's taken every attack from McCain and responded promptly, directly and counter-attacked beautifully. That's the exact opposite of Kerry.
June 26, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
He was for an ever-lengthening list of things before he was against them. And he doesn't want to be, you know, too partisan about little things like the Constitution, because he needs to bring us all together to get things done (as long as the things in question are what our corporate masters want). It's the same old crap the Democrats always wind up feeding us, even if you refuse to recognize it. And I very much fear it will have the same result. As Harry Truman said, given a choice between Republican and a Republican people will vote for the Republican every time. But this party never seems to learn that lesson.
June 26, 2008 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
I must admit, this makes me nervous -- to some extent, it's unilateral disarmament.
On the other hand, for the Democrats to be coordinated and unified this year in all of their message, communications and outreach work is quite amazing. It shows a willingness to sublimate ego and ambition to the larger cause that's never been evident before. And it shows the power of Obama's leadership that people will do what he asks. No doubt, the fact that he is willing to devote his resources to helping Dems all down the ballot, even in states he's not likely to win, is helping to smooth this process.
So, from my perspective, all of this is yet another example of how Obama can be a transformative candidate -- and how this could be a watershed election.
June 26, 2008 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
I feel nervous, too. But for different reason:I don't like the idea of total control of message. All of these groups were very powerful and loud liberal tools, and all of them began to disagree with obama on more and more issues. Could it be possible, that Obama is trying to turn down their voices?
June 26, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's a real risk and danger. But having a cacaphony of voices from the progressive side of the political spectrum hasn't exactly led to great victories in recent years. I think it's worth the gamble to go for more coordination and consistency in message this time around.
June 26, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a smart strategy. It allows negative 527 ads from the GOP side to show a McCain weakness. Both Obama and McCain have said they want to run a campaign on the issues and avoid the smear ads. If Obama can demonstrate that he has the leadership to shut down the 527s on the Dem side it makes it harder for McCain to say "I can't control what the 527s say". McCain has said this already, lets see how he responds next time.
It's fighting fire with water as opposed to fighting fire with fire. In fire with fire everyone gets burned.
There are lots and lots of McCain negatives that the campaign can bring to light that remain on point and speak to issues. I don't think Obama will have problems trotting them out over the course of the campaign.
June 26, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
It'll work as well as Obama's campaign apparatus is working. If they veer off the tracks, no one will be there to help them back up. If Obama's FISA cave is a harbinger of future strategy, then such an outcome is entirely possible.
The conventional wisdom is that Democratic candidates run away from and ignore their progressive base in general elections. But in a year when the populace tilts further and further left each day, such maneuvering is questionable.
June 26, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Theda Skocpol has an excellent Cafe post up on the wrong campaign path down which Obama is currently headed.
June 26, 2008 1:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
The more Obama goes down this road, the less flexibility he has. There's no plausible deniability with this strategy. He can't use surrogates in the way the Republicans can.
And it also, frankly, smacks of the Chicago machine. This, in conjunction with FISA and a couple of other things, is beginning to suggest to me that he wants to be some sort of caudillo -- a Mayor Daley for the nation.
June 26, 2008 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this is long term strategy that defines the rules for the rest of the election with the independent voters. I think it positions Obama to level the playing field come October.
It is a single, solid message and will blunt the attacks from the Republican 527's later. We know the attack ads are coming, we know they are going to be bad, but if Obama visibly (and loudly) denies his own 527's, shows that he shut them down, and they pay attention to him, how much deniability does McCain have for his 527's? The "lies" meme has gained traction, and this is just the mid game.
Swiftboat ad? The logical rebuttal is Obama shut his 527's down; is he just that good a leader, or is McCain lying again? That sort of argument is a lot harder to get around than spinning in circles (Kerry) rebutting every false claim, it redefines the campaign.
September 15, 2008 9:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Taking the 527s out only makes sense if the Obama campaign is willing to hit and hit hard. So far, not so much. The 527s were willing to call it like it is, say a lie is a lie, a liar is a liar and bullshit isn't roses. Obama remains the perfect gentleman, for which I MORE than adore him; however, don't bring a knife to a gunfight.
September 16, 2008 3:17 AM | Reply | Permalink