Tuesday, December 02, 2003
New money will boost some campaigns
Some of the campaigns that opted to stay within the federal public financing system will receive some money soon . Wesley Clark's Campaign is set to receive the most, $3.7 million followed by Joe Lieberman, $3.6 million. John Edwards will receive $3.4 million, Dick Gephardt will receive $3.1 million and $100,000 for Al Sharpton.
Clearly the candidate who benefits most from this arrangement is Clark. He entered the race late and he will receive more money than the other candidates participating. Howard Dean and John Kerry decided not to receive public financing. They are following the lead of GW who opted out of the program this year and did the same in 2000.
All the candidates that participated could receive more money than originally expected because two of the top fundraisers will not receive money. This leaves more to redistribute between campaigns.
The presidential public financing program works by matching up to the first 250 dollars of private contributions. The program was started in 1974 for the 1976 election. A maximum of about one-eighth of the money contributed by private donors can be matched by the government.
By forgoing the public financing candidates can collect more than the $45 million the law limits. This is why Bush has a good shot in November. He can out spend most candidates. This basically amounts to him buy his way into the White House. I can only hope his efforts are in vain this time.
Clearly the candidate who benefits most from this arrangement is Clark. He entered the race late and he will receive more money than the other candidates participating. Howard Dean and John Kerry decided not to receive public financing. They are following the lead of GW who opted out of the program this year and did the same in 2000.
All the candidates that participated could receive more money than originally expected because two of the top fundraisers will not receive money. This leaves more to redistribute between campaigns.
The presidential public financing program works by matching up to the first 250 dollars of private contributions. The program was started in 1974 for the 1976 election. A maximum of about one-eighth of the money contributed by private donors can be matched by the government.
By forgoing the public financing candidates can collect more than the $45 million the law limits. This is why Bush has a good shot in November. He can out spend most candidates. This basically amounts to him buy his way into the White House. I can only hope his efforts are in vain this time.
Friday, November 28, 2003
Wesley Clark picks on Dean
Wesley Clark has been throwing mud when it comes to fellow Democratic candidate Howard Dean. The latest in statements made by Clark accused Dean of evading the military draft during the Vietnam conflict on a medical exemption and then going skiing. The accusation if true really would not mean much since both our current president and former president never served in Vietnam. Clinton dodged the draft by going to England and GW avoided combat by joining the air national guard of Texas though records do not exist showing he did not go AWOL(absent without leave). Clearly Vietnam is not a perquisite for the presidency. Neither is someone's stance on the war during that time period an issue as shown by Dean's popularity.
Clark's criticism is consistent with his four-star background, but it sounds hypocritical for Clark to advocate peace now and then criticize the stance of other during a armed conflict. Other than some veterans he may not make much noise with his views.
Clark was also in the news regarding the position he held during the Waco, Texas fire that killed cult members within the Branch Davidian Compound. Clark may have been part of the planning that eventually killed 80 members of the cult. Clark denies this and there are claims from Clark's commanding officer that Clark's involvement was minimal. This even if true would not hurt Clark much because as a career soldier he would have been expected to do his job and besides Janet Reno took the fall for that event years ago.
Clark's criticism is consistent with his four-star background, but it sounds hypocritical for Clark to advocate peace now and then criticize the stance of other during a armed conflict. Other than some veterans he may not make much noise with his views.
Clark was also in the news regarding the position he held during the Waco, Texas fire that killed cult members within the Branch Davidian Compound. Clark may have been part of the planning that eventually killed 80 members of the cult. Clark denies this and there are claims from Clark's commanding officer that Clark's involvement was minimal. This even if true would not hurt Clark much because as a career soldier he would have been expected to do his job and besides Janet Reno took the fall for that event years ago.
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Lieberman mad about the debate
Joe Lieberman is upset about not being involved in an arrangement to appear in the next democratic debate. The two other senators, John Edwards and John Kerry, will participate through satellite and they will appear on TV screens at the actual debate. The candidates will not appear because of the battle on capital hill about the Medicare
Lieberman was originally not going to participate, but once the rules were changed and Kerry and Edwards were allowed to debate using satellite, Lieberman changed his mind.
This debate is a big deal to the other Democrats who will compete in Iowa, this debates location, but Lieberman and Wesley Clark opted out of this primary. The Iowa primary and all the others are becoming more important than before because some of the states have cancelled their primaries or are considering it. Any victory in the primary could become more important with the lack of other.
Democrats are also asking to pull new ads about president Bush. The republicans are portraying GW as a crusader against Terrorism, and that he is being attacked for attacking terrorism.
Democrats are more accurate contending that it misleads the public. The ads will run through Tuesday and may air again in New Hampshire for the primaries there.
Lieberman was originally not going to participate, but once the rules were changed and Kerry and Edwards were allowed to debate using satellite, Lieberman changed his mind.
This debate is a big deal to the other Democrats who will compete in Iowa, this debates location, but Lieberman and Wesley Clark opted out of this primary. The Iowa primary and all the others are becoming more important than before because some of the states have cancelled their primaries or are considering it. Any victory in the primary could become more important with the lack of other.
Democrats are also asking to pull new ads about president Bush. The republicans are portraying GW as a crusader against Terrorism, and that he is being attacked for attacking terrorism.
Democrats are more accurate contending that it misleads the public. The ads will run through Tuesday and may air again in New Hampshire for the primaries there.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Mosely Braun's future grim
Carol Moseley Braun has named Patricia Ireland, former president for the National Organization for Women, to head her campaign. She has lost three other key members of her campaign including her treasurer. The campaign insists that they will not drop out of the Democratic race yet. The Braun campaign has made few public appearances, other than the televised ones, but that is expected considering the paltry amount of contributions collected. The move is intended to possibly swing the endorsement of the NOW. She has stated that she want to stay in until the convention. She can accomplish this easily by maintaining her course of barley being seen. When her candidacy does get to the convention she will lose tremendously and any issue she may be passionate about will be ignored due to her lack of support base. I know she want to stay, but her best bet for shaping policy would be to focus on regaining a congressional seat.
Two actual contenders, Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt, have kept it close in Iowa. As a result Dean has launched the first ads that target a specific candidate. The ad that shows pictures of Gephardt with GW in the rose garden and says that Gephardt helped to author the bill that allowed the war and then voted to give $87 billion dollars to continue the war. Gephardt has said that his stance on the war is consistent, but that Dean's is not clear. I think that the ads with GW will hurt Gephardt because Democrats dislike GW so much. If it were a national election and not a democratic primary then Gephardt would benefit from the more moderate portrayal.
Two actual contenders, Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt, have kept it close in Iowa. As a result Dean has launched the first ads that target a specific candidate. The ad that shows pictures of Gephardt with GW in the rose garden and says that Gephardt helped to author the bill that allowed the war and then voted to give $87 billion dollars to continue the war. Gephardt has said that his stance on the war is consistent, but that Dean's is not clear. I think that the ads with GW will hurt Gephardt because Democrats dislike GW so much. If it were a national election and not a democratic primary then Gephardt would benefit from the more moderate portrayal.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Some states scrap primaries
Some states have dropped their presidential primaries. This will make the remaining primaries very important in gauging the ability of a candidate to pull in votes. I think this may allow the more popular candidates to win by focusing their campaign resources in fewer states. The reasons cited for canceling the primaries are lack of necessary funding and the irrelevance of the latter primaries. The states believe that the top vote getter in the first few primaries gets enough media coverage to make the remaining primaries formalities. Some states like Utah have cancelled primary only to have the Democratic Party pay for its own. This left the Utah Democratic Party trying to pay for its own, which it has had a difficult time doing.
New laws requiring the candidates to attach the phrase, "I approved this ad" is going to be part of the reason candidates this year may shy away from mudslinging ads that have been commonplace in past elections. "The Stand By You Ad" is a provision of the November law that requires federal candidates to appear in their ads and state their approval. I like the legislation for another reason. During past elections television ads were placed by candidates and by political action committees without the candidates knowledge. This law will make it easier for me to separate the official campaign message from a group without ties to a political organization.
New laws requiring the candidates to attach the phrase, "I approved this ad" is going to be part of the reason candidates this year may shy away from mudslinging ads that have been commonplace in past elections. "The Stand By You Ad" is a provision of the November law that requires federal candidates to appear in their ads and state their approval. I like the legislation for another reason. During past elections television ads were placed by candidates and by political action committees without the candidates knowledge. This law will make it easier for me to separate the official campaign message from a group without ties to a political organization.
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Kerry's hemorrhaging campaign
A few days after announcing that he fired his campaign director, John Kerry has lost a couple more members of his team. The press secretary and deputy finance director for his campaign have resigned over the dismissal of the campaign manager. Robert Gibbs was the press secretary for the Kerry campaign and will be replaced by a former worker for John Edwards, the senator from South Carolina who is also seeking the Democratic nomination. The move was intended to energize his campaign by correcting reasons for a slump.
Kerry also has started showing political ads with GW in his flight suit the day he declared that combat in Iraq was over. This is to demonstrate his qualifications for a strong foreign policy presidency, one strong enough to beat GW in an national election. But the ad is also to highlight the credentials that Howard Dean is missing.
In another move by the Kerry campaign to keep pace with Dean's campaign, the Kerry group may forgo public financing and try to raise money privately. Dean chose to do this days ago and Kerry is considering it and should have an answer in a few days. This is hypocritical because Kerry lashed out at Dean for doing this and criticized the president for it. The amount of special interest money is what Kerry seems to dislike, but because money is critical to a successful campaign he might have to do the same. Kerry should have waited a few days before criticizing Dean.
Kerry also has started showing political ads with GW in his flight suit the day he declared that combat in Iraq was over. This is to demonstrate his qualifications for a strong foreign policy presidency, one strong enough to beat GW in an national election. But the ad is also to highlight the credentials that Howard Dean is missing.
In another move by the Kerry campaign to keep pace with Dean's campaign, the Kerry group may forgo public financing and try to raise money privately. Dean chose to do this days ago and Kerry is considering it and should have an answer in a few days. This is hypocritical because Kerry lashed out at Dean for doing this and criticized the president for it. The amount of special interest money is what Kerry seems to dislike, but because money is critical to a successful campaign he might have to do the same. Kerry should have waited a few days before criticizing Dean.
Thursday, November 06, 2003
Dean says he's sorry
The controversy about his comments regarding the confederate flag should end soon, now that Howard Dean has apologized. This is what Dick Gephardt and John Edwards wanted in the debate. Dean said he will continue to court southern voters for the Democratic nomination and possibly the presidential race. As stated many times in this blog the South can be crucial towards winning a presidential election, especially Florida with the third most electoral college votes of all the states. This is interesting because Dean has repeated said that he thinks highly of, Bob Graham, former candidate for the Democratic nomination. The Florida senator is also on Dean's short list for the vice-presidency. Dean said this after Graham stated he would not seek another term in the U.S. Senate.
On another note, Wesley Clark went on the record saying that he supported the Bush administration as it was falling apart. He had to do this because it was difficult to reconcile his recent criticism of the administration with the positive remarks he made earlier in GW's presidential term. This coupled with the praise Clark had for the Bush Sr. administration and the Reagan presidency, along with the negative remarks about the foreign policy of the Clinton administration could spell disaster for Clark. But the retired army general said he said those things because he was working with those people and wanted to see America succeed no matter who was in charge.
On another note, Wesley Clark went on the record saying that he supported the Bush administration as it was falling apart. He had to do this because it was difficult to reconcile his recent criticism of the administration with the positive remarks he made earlier in GW's presidential term. This coupled with the praise Clark had for the Bush Sr. administration and the Reagan presidency, along with the negative remarks about the foreign policy of the Clinton administration could spell disaster for Clark. But the retired army general said he said those things because he was working with those people and wanted to see America succeed no matter who was in charge.
