This is going to be a short diary, unlike the mammoth one I wrote yesterday obliterating a Washington Times interview with John McCain.
In short, the Obama campaign has raised only $36 million in the first two weeks of October.
More below the fold.
**UPDATE**
For those of you who believe the Obama campaign isn't concerned about their fundraising efforts this month:
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpoi...
On Private Calls, Top Obama Advisers Expressing Real Worry That Complacency Will Damage Fundraising, Turnout
In two private conference calls this week with leading fundraisers, surrogates, and prominent supporters, senior Obama advisers expressed genuine worry that his lead in the polls is creating a complacency among supporters that the advisers are afraid will create a serious drag on fundraising and turnout, a person who was on both calls says.
Obama and his aides have publicly warned against complacency, but in general terms, and such gestures have been widely viewed as pep-talks. These private discussions, though, suggest that the worry is genuine, and that it has taken the specific form of worry about money and get-out-the-vote efforts.
"The calls each had the same theme, which struck me," the person who was on both calls says. "They were worried about Democrats being so confident of victory -- it's a recurring theme." The Obama campaign declined to comment on the calls.
On one of the calls, a key focus was money. "The big fear was that people will start thinking their donations don't count," the person who was on the calls says. Speaking of Obama's advisers, he continued: "They were really concerned that in the final stretch people will feel their $50 or $100 don't matter."
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Reported at Huffington Post this morning, the Obama campaign reported that they spent more than $105 million during the first two weeks of October. No doubt this was from all of the buyouts of ad time as well as the half-hour special coming next Wednesday.
So folks, Obama's down to $66 million on hand and $2 million in debts. We need to donate to his campaign if you can still do so.
Barack Obama and John McCain enter the final days of the presidential campaign amid dwindling reserves, with Obama hindered by a sudden drop in fundraising and McCain restrained by spending limits.
Obama, the Democratic nominee, spent more than $105 million during the first two weeks of October, according to new campaign finance reports. He reported raising only $36 million for his campaign during that period, about half the fundraising pace he enjoyed in September.
The Illinois senator shattered records and dumbfounded Republicans and Democrats by raising $150 million in September. Obama could still do better in October. His more recent report showed he had taken no share from a joint Obama-Democratic Party victory fund that raised about $27 million during the same October period.
But with the election 11 days away, both Obama and McCain, the Republican nominee, are operating with diminishing funds.
Obama had nearly $66 million in the bank at the end of the two week period and debts of about $2.3 million. The Democratic National Committee and the joint victory fund reported combined cash on hand of $31 million.
I've already tapped myself out with $962.50 in donations over the past 7 months, but those of you who can give a little more, please do.
http://donate.barackobama.com/
Now you may say, "I need to give more to congressional races. Obama's got a ton of money!"
There are two problems with that.
- The Obama campaign has spent a ton of money on building offices and recruiting volunteers in order to GOTV. They have also hired thousands of lawyers to work election spots around the country to ensure we don't have any shenanigans on election day.
That costs money.
- All of that ground game work will tangibly benefit people like El Tinklenberg, Al Franken, Kay Hagan, Jeff Merkley, Jim Martin, and so forth and so on, by getting democratic voters to the polls.
- The current fundraising pace is half what it was in September. And as you all know, it's not how well you start the race, it's how you finish that can determine the winner.
So folks, again, go to http://donate.barackobama.com/ and give what you can.
Finally, the following is my agenda for the next 11 days, taken from my diary yesterday. What's yours?
Now that said, how am I responding to this and other falsehoods spewed forth from the McCain campaign and republicans?
- Continue to push for fundraising. I've donated $962.50 to the Obama campaign, of which $350 is accounted for on my personal fundraising page here: http://my.barackobama.com/...
I ask that you help in reaching the goal of $5,000. It currently stands at almost $1,900.
- I've taken off Friday, October 31st - Tuesday, November 4th to phone bank and help GOTV. My entire weekend will be dedicated to nothing but this folks.
- Write diaries like this exposing the hypocrisies and the lies of the republicans.
So let's finish this push and crush the right-wing ideology, and cognitive dissonance, for years to come!