A Perfect Storm For Fundraising

Several Factors Have Combined To Set High Expectations For '08 Candidates

(CBS)  The 2008 calendar is substantially more compact, and seems to get shorter with each passing week. The early states — Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and, for the Democrats, Nevada — will be followed almost immediately by a super-sized Super Tuesday on Feb. 5 that could include more than 20 states, including delegate-rich prizes like California, New York and Florida.

And those early states may come even earlier. In order to retain its "first in the nation" status, New Hampshire could move its primary to the first week of January to stay ahead of all competitors. There's even been talk of the nominating process starting in late 2007.

An early rush of primaries forces early fundraising, one former Bush campaign aide said. "George W. Bush didn't start raising money until early March of 1999," he said. "This time people started even before New Year’s Day."

Candidates also need to be established in the Feb. 5 states if, Grossman said, they want to capitalize on early success. "The fact that you have to be competitive in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada means you've got to be on the ground in twice as many states as early on and you have to have people on the ground in the Feb. 5 states."

And while the calendar shifts may not have been a direct cause of increased fundraising, candidates aren't afraid to use it as an excuse to ask for more money. "It's gone from being a strategy plan to being a rallying cry to donors," Tracey said.

• Internet Impulse: Online fundraising became a major tool in 2004, thanks largely to its role in catapulting Howard Dean from obscure governor to Democratic front-runner. But no one has been caught by surprise this time — the Internet has been an integral part of every campaign's fundraising strategy from the start.

Part of the Internet's appeal, a former Bush campaign aide said, is that it takes relatively little persuasion for someone to make an online donation. "Let's say a candidate has a good night, gives a good speech, you can give right then," he said. "These are not the K Street guys going to events at the Washington Hilton. It's a far more inclusive politics.”

Campaigns are also trying to push online fundraising — and thus their overall numbers — because while Internet donors normally give small amounts, they can be tapped again and again for money. And a large number of Internet donors can also reflect solid grassroots support.

"It's become sort of a number within the number," Tracey said. "One of the feats of strength is the ability to show how much you've raised money online."

• A Unique Environment: After two tightly contested presidential elections, a controversial war that shows no sign of ending soon, a Congress changing hands and other issues, like global warming, fanning partisan flames, polls indicate that the public is already interested in the presidential race, even at this early stage.

"I do think the ideological divide and the magnitude of the issues is driving donors from not only the ideological perspective but even the business community — the oil industry is going to recognize there's going to be a huge difference in energy policy if there's a Democrat or a Republican president," said veteran Democratic consultant Chris Lehane. "Issues we haven't faced the past 20 or 30 years are going to have a huge impact on different sectors."

This campaign also boasts more big names than usual, including Clinton, Obama, McCain and Rudy Giuliani. "It's all about these huge [dollar] figures because of the celebrity factor of Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama and McCain and Giuliani," Lehane said. "They kind of have a pre-existing network of contributors."

[nyckate]

anopinion1 - President Bush is the perfect example of how too much money can 'sell' dummies a president the same way they sell toilet paper!

Fact is that with media saavy Rove 'created' a candidate named George W. Bush - and sold him as a good, smart, decent christian man who was going to bring morality and values back to the White House - instead we have been hit by the most corrupt, awful, inept, incompetent thieving bunch of thugs.

Apparently half of those who 'bought' into Bush/Rove's media perception now have buyer's remorse - too little too late. And what's even sadder is that perhaps Americans need to be sold a candidate - even if its a fake - we aren't the world's largest consumers for nothing.

[radiob-2009]

Why doesn't CBS just compare the bank accounts of the "major" candidates, and declare a winner?
Posted by feelfree1

Can you think of a candiate that did not have the most in the "bank" not winning the primary in the last twenty years?

[anopinion1]

WHY THE HECK DOES IT TAKE 30 MILLION TO MAKE A RUN FOR PRESIDENCY??????????
SO THEY CAN PAY PEOPLE OFF OR WHAT?????
THEY NEED TO LIMIT HOW CANDIDATES CAN CAMPAIGN..

Something is seriously corrupt with the amount of money they are spending!!!!
What i wanna know is where the majority of the money goes??? adds in magazines / TV ??? i would imagine?
or PI's to dig up dirt on their opponents and stalk them hopping they will slip up???
or to pay news organizations to print articles they see fit???

[feelfree1]

The Western media has created a mockery of our elections process. CBS and other newz outlets would have us believe that our national elections equate to a horse race, while very little attention is given to the issues.

Why doesn't CBS just compare the bank accounts of the "major" candidates, and declare a winner?

[radiob-2009]

Make public campaign finance the law, no money out of candiates own pockets,friends or families.
Be it presidential races or congressional races.