Corny as it sounds, we can do
something about this.
The Republican National Committee (news - web sites)'s hefty fund-raising advantage over its Democratic rival is already being felt as the 2004 election year gets under way.
With $33.1 million in the bank and more to come, the RNC is laying plans to spend in races up and down the ticket as the Democratic National Committee works to complete its first task: raising $16 million to help promote its presidential nominee.
The parties' finances as the year began offer a striking look at the effect broad new fund-raising restrictions are having. The DNC started with $10 million in the bank, one-third as much as the RNC.
[...]
In all, the RNC raised about $105.5 million last year. The DNC raised $42 million. Both spent millions reaching out to potential donors and voters, with Republicans spending millions more than the Democrats.
In the presidential race, each committee can spend roughly $16 million in coordination with its nominee, along with the candidates' own fund raising. While the RNC has all it needs for that and more, the DNC has $10 million raised and about $6 million to go.
McAuliffe expects it will be late March before the DNC accumulates that funding. That means the general-election season will be getting under way just as the DNC starts raising money for TV ads, get-out-the-vote drives and other non-presidential-specific spending.
The RNC's cash advantage will let it pump money into campaigns from the statehouses to the White House while orchestrating a party-wide, get-out-the-vote effort. While the top priority is helping President Bush win re-election, spending will go beyond close presidential states to every state where it is needed.
I know there will be the inevitable bitching about the DNC, and they are not perfect (by a long shot). But at the end of the day, we need those guys.
So donate now. And make it a sustainer donation for good measure. Even $10 measly bucks per month helps.
We have raised, to date, $39,804. Let's get that to $50,000. Actually, let's get that to $100,000 by the DNC convention (and taking sustainer donations into account, we're only $30-40,000 away).
So let's do it.