When first I heard that Hillary Clinton’s campaign forecast that it would only be raising about $27 million for the second quarter of 2007 (April through June), I assumed the former First Lady’s people (masters of media manipulation) were lowballing its fundraising estimates so they could say, when they released the final number, that they had exceeded expectations.
Instead, she only raised $21 million for the primaries, considerably below Senator Barack Obama’s take of $31 million (for the primary campaign). Before Mrs. Clinton campaign released her take, the New York Times reported, “If her estimate that she raised ‘in the range of $27 million’ proves correct, Mr. Obama will have outpaced her for a second consecutive quarter in money that can be spent in primaries to win the nomination”
Obama outraised her by $10 million (for the primaries). And he doesn’t have a former President doing fundraisers for her. That former President, Mrs. Clinton’s husband, being quite possibly the most popular living politician among Democrats.
I wonder how much less would she have raised had her husband not been headlining events for her.
That Obama did so well suggests there is a lot of enthusiasm for his candidacy (confirmed, in part, by my conversations with some of his supporters)–or perhaps it’s many Democrats supporting fear Hillary couldn’t win a general election. They are looking for a charismatic alternative to the bland (non-native) New Yorker.
While Mrs. Clinton does lead the polls for the Democratic nomination (and even leads many head-to-head matchups for the fall campaign), the fundraising totals suggests that Democrats may not be all that enthusiastic about their frontrunner.
UPDATE: As I read more information about the fundraising totals for the second quarter, I find more examples to support my notion that there is a lack of enthusiasm for Mrs. Clinton. Almost as if she is the establishment candidate. And big donors are supporting her because it’s “her turn,” much like the previous GOP notion of picking a presidential nominee.
Not only did Senator Obama outraise his New York colleague, even raising more money that is allocated for the primaries than she raised for the primaries and general election campaign combined, but he also had a broader base of donors. Given this base, we can safely assume that a fair number of them did not contribute the maximum allowed by federal law, indicating that he may be able to build on his fundraising totals merely by asking his past contributors to pony up a little more. But, Mrs. Clinton will not be able to go back to those who have already contributed the max.*
Having garnered “contributions from over 154,000 donors in the second quarter, bringing his total to 258,000 donors this year,” thus having had 104,000 donors in the first quarter, compared to 60,000 for Mrs. Clinton. New York’s junior Senator “has yet to release how many donors contributed to her campaign in the second quarter.”
It does seem there is more enthusiasm for Obama. And it seems that rich establishment Democrats are giving the maximum to Mrs. Clinton—or just paying for the chance to meet her more charismatic husband.
I’m not sure how Hillary gets past this….52% of likely voters say they won’t “consider” voting for her at this moment. If the Republicans choice is horrible, I guess people might move towards her as an anti Republican vote. But it seems to be a very bad position for her.
What’s Bill’s record for candidates that he stumped for and wound up losing? He’s like 0-20 or 30 something at least, right? I know he’s got a worse record than Bob Shrum.
It would be well that the candidates avoid his kiss on the cheek.
BTW, how long will it be before Obama wakes up to a horse’s head?
I keep telling you guys, Hillary won’t be the Dem nominee. Rather, she’ll be the first SCOTUS nominee of the next Dem President. 🙂
Ian, while you may well be right that Hillary won’t be the Democratic nominee, I don’t think a Democratic president would want to put a woman in her 70s on the court. Nor would she, toward the end of her third Senate term, want to give up her seniority.
Hillary? SCOTUS? God forbid! Heck, with her on the court, why even bother with representative government anymore?
I can think of few better reasons to vote Republican. And hasnt she been disbarred yet? or was that just her husband?
So, if it won’t be the socialist “I’m going to take things away from you for the common good” Hilldog, will it be the phony-poverty-center scam artist with the $400 haircut or the dippy senator with two years experience who thinks 10,000 people died in the Kansas tornado and whose response to a massive hypothetical terrorist attack was all FEMA, no military?
Obama is the darling of the MSM and a fresh face. However, when the Clinton attack dogs expose his lack of substance and experience, he will be just that ; dog food. The GOP could help Hilary by attacking Obama´s membership in a racist church. With Hilary as Dem´s nominee, Fred or Rudy will take the White House.
I don’t know, Roberto. The last time the Democrats nominated a lightweight sociopath with a scary wife and a history of shady real estate deals, it worked out pretty well for them.
A couple of points here:
1. Obama is this year’s Howard Dean. Remember his “energy” and his “fundraising” prowess in 2004? Turned out he was a paper tiger. The scream was his death knell in the world of competitive politics. He went from being a front-runner to being in charge of the DNC. If Barack Hussein Obama is not selected as a veep, he will stay in the Senate or (God forbid) sent to the UN as ambassador, depending upon IF the Dhimmicrat nominee wins the WH.
2. Shrillary on SCOTUS? If the GOP wins back the Senate in 2008 (and the chances are fair-to-middling according to some RCP polls), expect a HUGE nomination fight in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Plus, she’s not a practicing attorney nor even a judge. For those of you who think that will not be a hindrance for Her Shrillness, here are two words for you: Harriet Meiers.
Next topic.
Regards,
Peter H.
Hey Dan, almost forgot one question – how much money did Ann Coulter help John Edwards earn this time? Seems like whenever his campaign is short of cash, they turn to her to prime the pump.
Regards,
Peter H.
#8:
Dan, your sunny optimism is truly inspirational.
V the K, it workek out well for them because of Ross Perot´s vendetta against President Bush, no. 1. The second time around Bob Dole came off as a light weight. Perot was somewhat of a factor in this as weel. If Perot had stayed out, four states that were normally red would have given the victory to Dole. I suggested to his campaign instead of attacking Bill´s character he attack the IRS as the collection agency for the tax and spend Democrats and that he propose a flat tax. Obviously the staff didn´t take my advice, moreover, they returned a donation from the Log Cabin Club. Since then he´s done better selling viagra.
The Clintons have had years to develop a staff of attackers. That is why I think she will win the nomination. If it is Fred or Rudy carrying the GOP banner the only way she will see the White House is upon invitation.
#16 – Maybe, Roberto, but don’t forget that we in the GOP have also got our “list” of dirty laundry pulled right from the pages of Shrillary’s life story:
What about her infamous “cattle futures” speculation which gave her thousands of dollars – right about the time of the Whitewater scandal?
Or how about the filching of highly classified FBI documents on the Clintons’ “enemies list” that somehow ended up in the WH living quarters?
Or the mysteriously immediate $100,000 in commodities gains through Tyson chicken?
Or the shredding the Rose Law Firm documents on said Whitewater scandal?
Or for that matter, hiding those documents for months in the White House residence, as well as in Webb Hubbell’s basement?
Or the firing of Billy Dale and other career civil servants in the WH Travel Office to make a profit for their cronies the Thomasons?
Let’s not forget the waging of all-out rhetorical war on a mild-mannered special prosecutor when her husband lied under oath about his serial infidelities in the Kiss It Paula sexual-harassment case.
The possibilities are overwhelming. I say BRING IT ON.
Regards,
Peter H.
Peter, we´re loaded for her. Her attack dogs will do in Obama. He´s an easy target. The Dems won´t use our ammo against her, that´s why she is the perfect foil for Rudy or Fred. Edwards is done. With the discovery of the the two cars in London and the Glasgow attack, who in the hell is going to believe his mantra that war on terror is a bumber sticker. Richardson has to wait for amnesty to get all the new latino
votes that Pirolin is registering (a dj in L.A is telling them to register Democrat when they gain citizenship). Biden is hopeful. There aren´t enough communists to support Dodd, unless Carter can arrange for terrorists worldwide to vote absentee ballots.
I could have sworn I´ve heard the MSM say that Obama is the first black to seek his party´s nomination. Have they forgotten Rev. Jesse
and his rainbow coalition? He faded after his hymietown remark and to the gays “I don´t understand this homosexual thing!” Republicans who are black almost always get passed over by the MSM. They never mentioned Alam Keyes.
#18:
Yeah, I’m sure she’s quaking with fear: last time you “loaded for her” you wound up just shooting blanks. If Ken (porn) Starr couldn’t get anything on Hillary, what makes you think anyone can now? Besides, the bar has been raised dramatically with all the recent scandals plaguing the Republick Party.
Speaking of GOP scandals, how about that Scooter getting amnesty? Yeah, he still has a fine to pay but the illegals would have had to pay a fine too and you guys still called it amnesty. Or do different rules apply to Repubs?
Are you going to allow us to give all illegal immigrants felony criminal records, Ian?
Or two years probation?
Or a $250k fine?
Which, as Matt of the Malcontent ably reminded us, is about three times the amount of the last person caught perjuring themselves and using their office to obstruct justice.
#21: Leave it to you to bring up the Clenis. Of course, Clinton was never convicted of the crimes that Scooter committed. For a more direct comparison, you should consider this case where the guy got 33 months. But then, he wasn’t a Bush apparatchik like Scooter. Perjury? Obstruction of justice? Hey it all comes down to that old rule of thumb: IOKIYAR.
hillary raised $22 million this past quarter; no small feat and miles ahead of mccain and probably every other gop candidate.
Of course, Clinton was never convicted of the crimes that Scooter committed.
Mainly because Clinton had the benefit of being able to legally pay off nearly half of the jury that tried him to find him not guilty.
Oddly enough, when Clinton was in front of a judge and not a jury of leftist Democrats, he didn’t fare so well.
As far as your comparison case, read a bit about it.
Meanwhile, Ian, what happened to your argument that Libby is receiving the same free ride as you and your leftist party want to give those who deliberately break immigration law? Are you now going to support felony convictions, two years’ probation, and a $250,000 fine for each illegal immigrant?
#24:
Are you questioning the comparison or are you just blathering?
I’d like to see jail time too but only if they have committed perjury and obstruct justice to block an investigation into the breaching of national security. Like Scooter did.
I can see another meme developing over the next year: there’s one set of laws for high and mighty Repubs and an entirely different one for everyone else. Scooter is exhibit A.
Republickans cheat at everything.
Sorry, Ian, but we already know you support obstruction of justice and blocking Federal investigations and enforcement.
And also, if you read, the only person who outed Plame was Plame herself.
Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald contends that Plame’s friends “had no idea she had another life.” But Plame’s secret life could be easily penetrated with the right computer sleuthing and an understanding of how the CIA’s covert employees work.
When the Tribune searched for Plame on an Internet service that sells public information about private individuals to its subscribers, it got a report of more than 7,600 words. Included was the fact that in the early 1990s her address was “AMERICAN EMBASSY ATHENS ST, APO NEW YORK NY 09255.”
A former senior American diplomat in Athens, who remembers Plame as “pleasant, very well-read, bright,” said he had been aware that Plame, who was posing as a junior consular officer, really worked for the CIA.
According to CIA veterans, U.S. intelligence officers working in American embassies under “diplomatic cover” are almost invariably known to friendly and opposition intelligence services alike.
“If you were in an embassy,” said a former CIA officer who posed as a U.S. diplomat in several countries, “you could count 100 percent on the Soviets knowing.”
Plame’s true function likely would have been known to friendly intelligence agencies as well. The former senior diplomat recalled, for example, that she served as one of the “control officers” coordinating the visit of President George H.W. Bush to Greece and Turkey in July 1991.
And more:
After Plame left her diplomatic post and joined Brewster-Jennings, she became what is known in CIA parlance as an “NOC,” shorthand for an intelligence officer working under “non-official cover.” But several CIA veterans questioned how someone with an embassy background could have successfully passed herself off as a private-sector consultant with no government connections.
Genuine NOCs, a CIA veteran said, “never use an official address. If she had [a diplomatic] address, her whole cover’s completely phony. I used to run NOCs. I was in an embassy. I’d go out and meet them, clandestine meetings. I’d pay them cash to run assets or take trips. I’d give them a big bundle of cash. But they could never use an embassy address, ever.”
Another CIA veteran with 20 years of service agreed that “the key is the [embassy] address. That is completely unacceptable for an NOC. She wasn’t an NOC, period.”
After Plame was transferred back to CIA headquarters in the mid-1990s, she continued to pass herself off as a private energy consultant. But the first CIA veteran noted: “You never let a true NOC go into an official facility. You don’t drive into headquarters with your car, ever.”
A senior U.S. intelligence official, who like the others quoted in this article spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that Plame “may not be alone in that category, so I don’t want to suggest she was the only one. But it would be a fair assumption that a true-blue NOC is not someone who has a headquarters job at any point or an embassy job at any point.”
This doesn’t even bring up the fact that the CIA knew that Plame, along with numerous other agents, had already been outed by Aldrich Ames.
Only leftist Democrats, Ian, would claim that Plame, who drove into Langley CIA headquarters nearly every day, was a “covert agent” — or that the CIA would be foolish enough to tie matters of “national security” to a woman who ANYONE with half a brain cell and an intelligence agency knew was a US spy.
Or her husband, whose “secret mission” to Niger apparently involved telling everyone — as he himself admits — that he was operating and asking them questions on behalf of the US government, which translates to “CIA” for anyone outside US borders.
Peter said:
he will stay in the Senate or (God forbid) sent to the UN as ambassador,
Are you kidding? Nobody’s going to let him make the most money/kickbacks.
how much money did Ann Coulter help John Edwards earn this time?
I saw somewhere the other day that they raked in like $40K or $400K, or something like that, within the first 24 hours. Who says it doesn’t pay to hide behind your wife’s skirt?
Ian said:
he still has a fine to pay but the illegals would have had to pay a fine too and you guys still called it amnesty.
Only if they sought to become citizens. They were automatically legal once the bill was signed and were not required to become citizens.
Clinton was never convicted of the crimes that Scooter committed.
What was he disbarred for? Help me out here. Up until today, Scooter was facing jail while Billy rakes in millions telling everybody how rich he is.
and obstruct justice to block an investigation into the breaching of national security. Like Scooter did.
And the libs didn’t give a damn when the NYT did it. And you know that Fitz-fong knew on day 1 that Armitage was the “leaker”, so what was the “investigation” other than doing Chucky Schumer’s bidding and padding an expense account.
Seriously, how do you investigate a crime that didn’t happen and you already know who the “leaker” was?
there’s one set of laws for high and mighty Repubs and an entirely different one for everyone else.
Sorry. The hypocritical libs already have that sown up.
Further,
Such as….?
And remember, we all know that liberals are trained to claim that their votes were stolen, even if it wasn’t. Just like AQ is trained to claim they were tortured.
Yes, there is a lack of enthusiasm for Senator Clinton’s candidacy. Next?
Oh, and when Peter said there was a good chance of the GOP taking back the Senate, I almost choked on a cashew from laughing.
Pardoning Libby: Amnesty. Obstruction of Justice. And a disgrace to the White House and the GOP.
Paris Hilton went to jail longer than Libby. Thanks to President George W. Bush, R-New England Establishment.
Oh, and when Peter said there was a good chance of the GOP taking back the Senate, I almost choked on a cashew from laughing.
Face it, the honeymoon ended when the first 100 hours went nowhere and GReid’s approval rating is the worst in history. What have the liberals done to maintain their razor thin majority?
They sure as hell haven’t done anything to endear themselves with the public, nor have they provided anything they “promissed”.
#26:
“Leftist Democrats” like Judge Reggie Walton? Judges like Thomas Hogan who forced the reporters to testify? Like Fitz himself? Yeah, right. Anyone who doesn’t agree with NDT must be a “leftist Democrat.” You’re pathetic.
However, I like the meme that’s developing for next year’s election: high and mighty Repubs don’t have to obey the same laws the rest of us do. Their support for “law and order” is a sad joke and Scooter’s case is a crystal clear example. Even 40% of Repubs would have kept the prison sentence in place.
An if he weren’t a blindered partisan hack, Inane would admit that both parties take care of their own. Or, do the names Wiilliam Jefferson and Sandy Berger mean nothing to him?
#33:
So which of these two have had their sentences commuted? Neither of course. Jefferson hasn’t even been convicted yet (although I’m sure he will be.) And Berger had his original misdemeanor plea penalty increased by the judge. Plus he expressed contrition for what he did. Something Scooter has yet to do. As a high and mighty Repub not subject to the same laws as ordinary people, Scooter will no doubt receive his share of the wingnut welfare typically doled out to felons like him. Like I said, great meme for next year.
And a candidate from which party picked a convicted perjuror and bribe-taker to co-chair her presidential campaign.
Yeah, the Democrats are pure as the driven snow. No culture of corruption there. Move along.
“[Berger] expressed contrition for what he did.”
Okay, Wonder Woman, so what you are saying that is if you apologize, it makes it okay? That the apology is for getting caught, not for doing the deed in the first place?
No wonder the libtards are so soft on terrorism. They’re expecting al-Qaeda to apologize first for trying to kill so many non-Islamists before passing judgment.
Regards,
Peter H.
You think Wonder Woman is spinning now, wait and see what will happen if Hilldog is his nominee. He’ll have to spin so hard to repudiate everything he said in the primaries that Dorothy and Toto will probably be swept up in the aftermath and dropped on Maureen Dowd.
MoDo? I thought Helen Thomas was the Wicked Witch of the East.
Actually, she looks more like the tree in the Haunted Forest with all those wrinkles.
(Sigh) Can’t keep the witches straight without a score card. I’ve always been of the opinion that the reason why Boston hosted the 2004 DNC convention was because of its proximity to Salem. That way, Hillary, Teresa Heinz-Kerry and Barbara Boxer could get there on their brooms.
Regards,
Peter H.
#37: I won’t spin a thing: if Hillary is the nominee – which I strongly doubt – she will get my support because the alternative, a corrupt GOP thug who will continue Bush-Cheney’s disastrous policies is a non-starter for me.
Oh, that’s right Miss Prince. You’re a blindered partisan hack, who doesn’t care about corruption or thuggery as long as it’s your crooks and thugs who are in power.
You are an inspiration to us all.
“Leftist Democrats” like Judge Reggie Walton? Judges like Thomas Hogan who forced the reporters to testify? Like Fitz himself?
Um….the trial had nothing to do with her CIA status.
Which was a wise move on the part of Fitzgerald, because if he had tried to argue that she was “covert”, he would have been laughed out of the courtroom.
The only thing it had to do with was whether or not Libby lied under oath. The real tragedy was that he didn’t have to; however, he chose to do so, and he was convicted of doing it — to the tune of a felony conviction, two years of probation, and a $250k fine.
Furthermore, excellent point; Sandy Berger STOLE classified documents, lied under oath about it, and not only walked away with no jail time, but only a misdemeanor conviction (NOT a felony) and a $50k fine.
In a sense, NDT, Libby’s mistake was cooperating with the investigation. If he had just pulled a Hillary and answered “I don’t recall” to every question, there would have been no basis for prosecution.
#41:
You obviously don’t know who Judge Hogan is do you?
Oh, he had to alright. Clearly, he lied to protect Cheney and probably Bush. He had months to prepare for his testimony – it was all clearly planned he would lie: the odds were that the investigation would go nowhere, that he’d be acquitted or the worst case scenario would be he’d have to wait for a commutation and/or pardon. Well, he got his commutation and I suspect he’ll get his pardon in December 2008.
LOL…why don’t you explain to us why that is in the least relevant, Ian?
Because you’re still reeling from the facts presented that your ultrasupersecretwonderspy Plame was, in fact, breaking numerous rules concerning her so-called “covert” status.
And you’re also backpedaling, trying to explain why Scooter Libby deserved prison time for lying under oath and obstructing an investigation, but why Sandy Berger only deserved community service for deliberately taking, stashing, and destroying classified documents — and then lying to prosecutors about it as part of obstructing their investigation.
And V the K is right; if he’d just pulled a Hillary and sat there with a smirk on her face, saying over and over again how she “didn’t recall” how anything ended up where it was, how anything was done, or how she made so much money from deals for which people around her were being convicted left and right, he would have been fine.
Wrong, but fine.
Justice is perfectly served in this case, I think, by his felony conviction — which precludes him from ever getting a security clearance again, likely ever practicing law again, and likely ever being a government staffer again. Add to that the two years’ probation and a $250k fine and he is by no means getting off easily.
Getting back to the original thread – i.e. the lack of enthusiasm for Shrillary – I suspect that she may have some additional trouble from John Edwards, who is now officially the gay candidate for president.
Regards,
Peter H.
Please. Like I said elsewhere, calling John Edwards a faggot is an insult by association to we homosexuals.
Sorry, NDT. I promise to say Hail Marys until Madonna has a hit movie.
Regards,
Peter H.
Actually, this was one of the sleaziest things Fitzpatrick and the judge did. They forbade the defense from raising the issue of Plame’s CIA status at trial, claiming it was not germane to the case. But then, in the sentencing phase, Fitzpatrick made the alleged leak of her status and endangerment of “national security” the focal point of his demands for the harshest possible sentence.
Sleazy. Sleazy. Sleazy. Not as sleazy as pretending to channel a brain damaged baby so he could sue a baby doctor out of business, but still incredibly sleazy.
Ian, have no doubt that Hilary will be the nominee. She´s determined and with Bill´s help she get it. He´ll make some people an offer they can´t refuse. Those who refuse will disappear and be found in the woods victims of an hiking accident.
“Those who refuse will disappear and be found in the woods victims of an hiking accident.”
Or found in Fort Marcie Park under mysterious circumstances. Or killed in an unexplained plane crash. Or set ablaze in a compound in Waco.
And libtards call BUSH an evil genius?? Please.
Regards,
Peter H.