11.05.03
HIDING IN THE GRASSROOTS
by Jason Zengerle
Candidate: Howard Dean
Category: Intellectual Honesty
Grade: D
Howard Dean is in a tough spot when it comes to his campaign's finances. Once upon a time, when Dean was an upstart candidate who had yet to demonstrate a great aptitude for raising campaign cash, he pledged to participate in the public-financing system, which would entitle him to federal matching funds but would also limit his campaign spending to $45 million. But that pledge came before Dean had raked in more than $25 million in campaign contributions, and before President Bush had made clear that he was going to opt out of the public-financing system so he could raise and spend up to $170 million in the primary season. So now Dean, for obvious reasons, wants to opt out, too. The problem for Dean: how to do it without looking like a hypocrite?
Well, evidently Dean has his answer: He's going to act as if his supporters are telling him to do it. Last night, Dean sent out an e-mail to 500,000 Deaniacs asking them whether he should forego public-financing. His campaign has pledged to abide by their decision. "They are the ones that got us here," Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi told The New York Times, "so let them make the choice."
There's only one problem. The language Dean's campaign uses in its poll is so blatantly slanted in favor of the opt-out option that it's hard to see how any Dean supporter would choose to stick with the public-financing system. If Dean's campaign accepts federal matching funds, the e-mail warns, "our spending will be capped at $45 million--and the greatest grassroots movement in the history of presidential politics will be stopped from raising money almost immediately. ... If we accept federal matching funds--and the $45 million spending cap that goes with it--they will have a $155 million spending advantage against us. From March through August, they will be able to define and distort us, and we will have no way to defend ourselves." On the other hand, if the Dean campaign opts out, the e-mail explains, "we free ourselves to raise the money needed to defend ourselves during the crucial months from March through August against the attacks of George Bush and his special interest backers." So is there anyone in favor of sticking with the public finance system? I didn't think so.
Dean has good reason to opt out: there's no point in standing on principle if it means sinking your campaign. But he should stand up and admit that the decision to opt out is his and his alone and is not necessarily the will of the people