Obama needs to skip Public Financing!!

[KansasVoter]

He is raising $30-$50 Million a month. Public financing would be about $85 million total. He would be crazy to limit himself.
I am sure Mccain will whine about him changing his mind. Who cares?? No Obama supporter will care and those who do care would not vote for Obama anyway. All Obama has to do is claim that based on 527s and the fact that he (Obama), unlike Bush, can reexamine decisions once more information is available, and change his mind. Mccain is only raising about 15 million a month. He is going to be hurting for money!!!

Go Obama!

[thoughtcrime1984]

1. Didn't McCain do something shady with public funding in the Primaries?

I had an e-mail from the DNC that spelled out that McCain had no moral high ground on this issue. Absolutely, forgo public funding, we need to win this thing! And the notion that he somehow promised the nation that he would use public finance is hogwash - it was merely a questionnaire that was filled out. He stated that he would consider that possibility, but there would need to be discussion about the conditions under which he might do so.

[crankychatter]

9. Not confirmed but probably

He took out a giant loan, possibly using expected public campaign money as collateral for the bank... Then when he tried to back out of Public Financing, the people that manage PUBLIC CAMPAIGN MONEY, wanted to INVESTIGATE, whether or not he had taken a loan out in this way. I believe that it's actually a crime, carrying fines.

It was RIGHT AFTER THAT, he challenged Obama to go with Public Funding... he was evading investigation for possible criminal activity.

No investigation and no confirmation of all these things has occurred yet.

[vita405]

2. The dilemma is that he vowed to agressively pursue public financing

And if he doesn't, he will be called on it by McCain, who has now challenged him on this issue.

[Bonobo]

5. I don't think it would be a dilemna.

His supporters want him to win at all costs against crazy old McCain.

[vita405]

8. But the pundits would call him on his dishonesty in TV debates

And columnists in the print media will call him a flip flopper. That would be a liability.
I think he should pursue public financing.

[bilgewaterbill]

12. So a candidate should hold to his statements even if it means losing?

[crankychatter]

15. It is McCain that's dishonest, NOT OBAMA

read my posts

this will give mccain a get out of jail free pass

is that what you want?

[Bonobo]

16. I believe this is the election that will pop the bubble of the punditocracy.

And maybe I will start a thread on it sometime.

Basically, I am beginning to develop a theory/belief that the 24-hour news station/New Media phenomena is a large inflated bubble that is about to be burst.

It's like the stock market. Just when they thought they had it figured out so it would run smooth forever, they are reminded of the fact that there are elemental forces at work. People, the Masses.

Throughout history, petty dictators and kings have suffered from the hubris of thinking they had it figured out with the propoganda and manipulation and oppression too. They thought so and they wound up learning that the inescapable reality is that 1% of the population cannot keep the remaining 99% under subjugation indefinitely. Somehow, against all expectations and in surprising ways, they will revolt and overturn the power structure. It has always happened and it always will.

I believe that Bush pushed it too hard. The backswing will be a terrific thing to behold. With the good fortune of getting a visionary, a genius with a magnetic personality, the United States of America could potentially make an enormous change. As proof, look at the enormous change America has undergone in the last 7 years.

[crankychatter]

14. McCain tried to back out of Public Financing after HE AGREED

He tried to break their tentative agreement and back out.

When McCain came under scrutiny for possible crimes associated with borrowing millions of dollars privately, to kickstart his campaign, using the expected public funds as collateral.... he was informed that was a criminal act carrying fines.

It was AFTER that he re-challenged Obama on the Public Financing issue... to evade prosecution.

If Obama says YES, then McCain evades investigation.

Further, McCain will get tons of sweet press and Obama will be vilified.

He will NEED the bump from our donations.

ALSO, this may be the last time we can directly access the oval office without PAC influence. Once they start narrowing band access online for non-corporate users like us, it'll be all over but the crying.

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

[keep_it_real]

19. I don't care what he vowed; he must not betray his supporters

By losing because of a vow; winning is more important than that vow.

[keep_it_real]

3. Indeed, do what it takes to win not lose.

[crankychatter]

4. The corporate media will favor mccain with free press

He'll get plenty of free airtime and corporate spinmeisters helping him

So he can afford to lower expenses

We may never have another chance to do an end run around the corrupt, traditional system of campaign finance... especially after they comcast our internet.

This is it... and we need to take advantage of it

I concur completely with you

[democrattotheend]

6. I disagree

I understand why he is hesitant to commit - if he does, it will give HRC a talking point with the superdelegates. But if he ultimately opts not to take it, it goes against what he believes in, and it will have a negative effect on future elections. If he opts out, it will basically make the public financing system extinct in the next election, because opting out will become the norm and candidates who take public financing will be at a big disadvantage, which will mean that top-tier candidates won't take it. We already saw that happen in the primary stage this year after Dean and Kerry opted out last time. If Obama opts out of public financing for the general it will basically make the system extinct.

If he takes it, he will have $85 million to spend for 3 months, and he can direct contributions to the DNC to spend more money on his behalf. This will also help protect Dean from getting ousted for not raising enough money.

I understand why Obama may not take public financing, but I will be really proud of him if he does, because it's the right thing to do and it is what he believes in.

[woolldog]

10. Nope you're wrong.

His campaign IS being publicly financed, by the people.

Was the point of public campaign financing to limit the amount of money spent on campaigns OR was it to make sure that large contributors and lobbyists don't dominate political discourse through their large contributions.

I think it was the latter. And because of the way Obama has financed his campaign--small donations from a large base of ordinary people--this obviates the reasoning for public campaign financing to begin with.

[blonndee]

20. Thanks for this--you're helping me make up my mind on this.

One of the things I really admire in Obama is his principles and willingness to stand up for what he believes in. On this matter, I'm tempted to say, "screw it" for political advantage because it's CLEAR that he will whip McSame's butt on financing. But you make an interesting ethical argument and one that does seem right and good--what Obama is doing actually IS "public financing," at least from my moral perspective. I don't know, though...I need to look up exactly what he did commit to. If he did specifically commit to something different, I'll admit that I think that was a mistake on his part, and will have to give up my own moral high ground (on a technicality) by saying that I think he should let OUR donations fund his campaign anyway.

[crankychatter]

7. I have a question RE Clean Elections in Kansas

I'm from Seattle but now in rural kansas.

I just signed up for the newsletter yesterday from the clean elections people here in Kansas. I'm a firm believer.

I only found ONE newspaper article in reference to two bills in the State Legislature in Kansas.

One to lift ALL limits on spending...

The other to pay for clean elections.

Do YOU know the status of this initiative here?
Have any resources for me?

[David Zephyr]

11. Absolutely.

We will finally use their sword against them.

[tammywammy]

13. No, if he and McCain can come to a good resolution on the matter

Then he should accept public financing along with McCain.

[WillyT]

17. True THAT !!!

With bigots on the left and the right, he should just let his millions of supporters have their say!

:mad:

[crankychatter]

18. The MSM will vilify Obama either way

Only with our contributions can he fight back

[thoughtcrime1984]

21. THAT IS THE CORRECT ANSWER!

And one that needs to be kept in everyone's minds, because he's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. The extra tens of millions he can get from us will allow him to effectively counter McCain's smears and those coming from the MSM. He absolutely MUST allow us to fund him in the GE. MUST!

[backscatter712]

22. I wouldn't mind if he declined public financing.

I know he promised to take it, but still, the reality is that by taking it, he'll hamstring himself.

Quite frankly, there are bigger fish to fry in the short term, like John McCain, and he'll have to pass up the financial help of over a million ordinary citizens if he accepts matching funds.

Campaign finance definitely needs to be worked on again, so the public matching funds option is actually usable for candidates who want to actually win.

Come to think of it, do a lot more reforms of campaign finances than that, like say, making it fair, and ending the legalized bribery.

[thoughtcrime1984]

23. The only advantage Obama can get in the GE is financing from

his supporters. Any advantage from mass media is going to McCain. The field is tilted against us Dems from the get-go, folks. We MUST capitalize on Obama's charisma, likeability, and electability by giving him the cash he needs to fight the smears of McCain and the right-wing media. We must win this election at nearly any cost or we may not have much of a country left to try to save in 2012. Save for Obama's huge advantage in character, intelligence, and YES, leadership, forgoing public financing is the only way to gain an advantage of any sort in this election cycle.

[backscatter712]

24. I'll keep doing my part.

He's already got $210 of my money this election season in various donations. He's gonna keep getting more every time I can spare some all the way to November.

[KaptBunnyPants]

25. He would be a fool to opt in.

One can pursue legislative change for stronger public financing without unfairly limiting yourself within a flawed system. There's no contradiction there; if the Republicans didn't have built in advantages in terms of vast networks of 24 hr talk radio and fox, and we had tight restrictions on control of the media so that each side got a fair chance to make their point, one could argue that there would be a moral obligation to opt into public financing. But that's not America, and if we want a decent government we'll have to play by American rules. And really, for any valid system of public financing, there would be not "opting out" of it at all.

[johnnydrama]

26. i may be wrong

But I think the General election starts the day after the convention, meaning it's only a little over 2 months.

And each candidate gets $85 million.

So although it would be less than he could spend otherwise, it wouldn't be like 6 months worth of less spending.

Anyway, he still needs any advantage he can get.