now that we're at the point where dean democrats are going to be
shamed into contributing whatever small dollars they had earmarked for dean for america's general election campaign to that of john kerry for president, i think there's something to consider: what if dean's fundraising success was only the opening shot in what will be an ever-escalating war of small-dollar donations? there's a part of me that always felt that this was a one-time deal; that, after this november, every candidate, dem & repub, will push hard for small dollars, to complement their $2000 checks, now that trippi's showed them how.
seems like, just as every candidate, dem or repub, employs populist rhetoric when it suits them, every candidate will now be obligated to point to their high percentage of small dollar donations to prove their solid support and increasing popularity amongst the riff raff.
we might be tempted to applaud this as yet another of dean's lasting innovations -- how he's re-made american politics, achieving "real campaign finance reform" -- but on the other hand, since we failed to actually get our small dollar guy the nomination, it feels like we seriously blew our load prematurely.
now, support = $. it won't be enough to wave signs or wear a button, you'll be told; why don't you kick in $20 or $50 while you're at it? if you don't, they'll point to the sums accumulating on the other guy's website, and, as the red begins to fill up rudy giuliani's "freedom tower" (his version of "the bat"), you'll feel obliged to pony up your beer money for hillary's -- i dunno -- some kind of steadily reddening, phallic obelisk.
it seems like, with trippi's help, dean and now all the other dems got the jump on the republicans with respect to this (rather obvious) fundraising innovation, small dollars in large numbers. but now the cat's out of the bag, and i'd be surprised if there aren't god fearing christian children out there sacrificing their allowances so that mom & dad can send it away to dubya, to help him stop those baby-killing democrats.
after bush spends his pioneers' and rangers' bundles of $2000 checks, whoever's next up for the GOP will surely keep that $2000/plate portion of his fundraising hush hush -- for required disclosure statements only -- and will ask for their poor dumb rube supporters' money: fight terrorism and taxes! click here to contribute!