Expanding the Map: Obama Money Funneled to Key State Parties

The Democratic Party has set up a fundraising mechanism that automatically funnels ~~a portion of every dollar Barack Obama raises~~ some of the money Obama raises* to state parties in 18 states. Here's Roll Call:

The new fund, the Committee for Change, will parcel a fixed percentage of the contributions it receives to each of the 18 state parties, infusing those parties with new federal dollars and a list of new donors who can be helpful in future campaigns.

Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the DNC, says this move has the power to strengthen the party long-term. "This is going to help us build the party up and down the ticket in all of those states," he said.

Here's the important part. Check out the list of states: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

A number of these are standard swing states: New Mexico (Bush by 1 percent in 2004), New Hampshire (Kerry by 1), Iowa (Bush by 1), Michigan (Kerry by 3), Ohio (Bush by 2), etc. But a number are solid red states that haven't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in years, and tend to produce lopsided Republican victories.

Alaska? Bush 61, Kerry 36. Georgia? Bush 58, Kerry 41. Indiana? Bush 60, Kerry 38. North Dakota? Bush 63, Kerry 36.

But Obama is not Kerry, and the political environment of 2008 is not the political environment of 2004. The Democratic Party is betting on three things. (1) Obama's appeal to independents in these states means tying him to downticket Democrats actually gives those Dems a chance to win for the first time. (2) Obama may not win in these states, but a little extra cash might make them competitive, thus forcing John McCain to campaign and make ad buys in places he previously thought safe. And (3) the political environment is so bad for Republicans right now that if there is any time where Democrats can bring new voters into the fold, it's now. Using this money to build out party operations will be helpful in 2008, but also in 2012 and 2016.

*Clarified with the press team at the DNC. Donors who write checks to the Obama campaign directly will have their money put to Obama and Obama alone. But donors who write checks (presumably larger donors) to this Committee for Change will see their money divided between Obama, the DNC, and the 18 states.

Comments

That would be enough to make me keep my "Obama" money in my pocket!

I might want to contribute to Barack's campaign because I think he's head & shoulders above his Repub rival, but I might feel the exact opposite about some of the STATE races the Democrats have decided I should contribute to.

Who do they think they are, to decide to redirect campaign donations I've considered and decided to make to Barack, to fund someone else who I might think is a terrible choice for office, even if he DOES wear a Donkey Tie??
Oh, that's right.
They're the Ruling Elite, aren't they? So what I want to do, or intend to do with the money I've earned is of zero importance.

Posted by: Totally Bogus on 07/17/08 at 9:11 AM Respond

As a frequent Obama donor, I have no problem with that. I am, after all, a registered democrat.

And I feel that, in 2008, any Republican, aka "the ruling elite" is a "terrible choice for office."

Posted by: nic on 07/17/08 at 10:50 AM Respond

That's an entirely different story then, and that I would have no problem with.
So I can donate to Obama, and my contribution will benefit the person I intended to benefit with it. That's the way I think it should be.

nic thinks that every candidate who wears the Donkey Tie is automatically worthy of support.
I do not.
Perhaps he(she) thinks William Jefferson is not a terrible choice for office.
I do.
He(she) apparently feels that Nancy Pelosi, Rahm Emanuel, Steny Hoyer, Harry Reid et al., who control both houses of Congress are not among the ruling elite.
I happen to think that they are.

Fortunately, this is America, and we're still free to disagree, and say so in public, thank Divine Providence and the Founding Fathers!

Posted by: Totally Acceptable on 07/17/08 at 2:34 PM Respond