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Barack Obama Raises $150 Million in September Alone

LibertySugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:00:38 -0700

Today Barack Obama and John McCain must file their September fundraising numbers with the Federal Election Commission; but yesterday, Obama's campaign manager shared some good news with supporters: Barack raised a record of $150 million in September alone.

Perhaps more impressive, the campaign added 632,000 new donors to the cause. The average donation was $86. McCain is busy spending $84 million from the public financing, and the RNC raised an unexpected $66 million in September.

Obama has big plans for the money. He's apparently going to spend $5 million in West Virginia, a state thought to be in the bag for McCain, and he's buying up as much TV time as he can find. While some point to Obama's opt-out of public financing as an unfair advantage, the Obama campaign says they're building a movement for change from the bottom up.

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Obama Refuses Public Financing. What Does This Mean?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:37:29 -0700

I might be a special brand of crazy, but when I woke up to this news this morning, I started hyperventilating: Obama is not accepting public financing.

In shunning each tax-payer's $3 contribution we kick in when we pay our taxes, Obama is the first candidate to do so since Congress passed 1970s campaign finance laws after Watergate in the 1970s. McCain, the Republican nominee in waiting, has already taken steps to accept the public funds in the general election - matching funds that put a cap on how much each candidate can spend.

Obama said of his decision in a video released to supporters:

It's not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections. But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system. And we've already seen that he's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations.

There are a million factors to consider:

Does the above statement mean he's going to police all 527s on his behalf, making sure they're silent and not "broken"?
Obama is the best fundraiser this side of an ATM - he's coaxed $265 million in donations so far. But do his supporters want him raising money? Or focusing on being the best, most prepared person for the job?
Last November he said this: “If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election." Is he going back on his word, or should "publicly financed" be in quotes with a winky-face after it?
The campaigns and respective fight/momentum each has had to work with has been vastly different. Obama's been in a grudge match to the death until two weeks ago. That will inspire the wallets of supporters much more than a candidate who's been assured for months, creating an inequity that starting the general election fresh, with public-financing, would solve.

Those are just some of the thoughts that are racing through my tending toward indignant head. What do you think? Is Obama making the best, fairest decision for his own campaign? Is public financing broken like he says? Or did he just cash a blank check made payable to "The Next President of the United States"?

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Obama Buys 30 Minutes For Prime Time Appeal: Smart Move?

LibertySugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:45:34 -0700

On Oct. 29, six days before the election, Barack Obama will appear on at least CBS and NBC to make a final 30-minute case for his candidacy. Obama purchased the large block of national airtime for what is essentially a more personalized, and lengthy, campaign commercial.

Thanks to cheap TV time and lack of campaign finance laws, direct appeals were commonplace during the 1960s and '70s. As the 1952 Republican VP nominee, Richard Nixon, one of the first to appeal to voters directly via TV, gave the infamous "Checkers Speech" denying that he accepted illegal donations. His effort to reach out to voters was essentially successful, as the Eisenhower/Nixon ticket went on to victory. Ross Perot was the last to air low-rated campaign infomercials in 1992.

Networks will offer McCain a similar time at a similar price, but Obama's fund-raising advantage may mean only he has the resources. Obama often makes his message demographic specific, for example buying ads on MTV. By appealing to the entire nation, Obama can convey a unified message. I'm still left wondering what details he has up his sleeves for the mega-ad. An economy-heavy speech would have an historical hook, considering Oct. 29 marks the anniversary of Black Tuesday, the start of the Great Depression.

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Prop 8 Opposition Uses Apple's Get a Mac Ad Parody

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:30:16 -0800

Happy Election Day, everybody! If you're a Californian, you're also deciding the fate of gay marriage in this state. There have been a lot of controversial ads, but this is the first geeky one I've seen. This ad's creators, ostensibly opposers of Prop 8, use a parody of Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, casting the Mac character as the open-minded one who's against banning gay marriage.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Do you think the creators were adding additional commentary by making the be-suited PC into the Prop 8 supporter, or was it just the luck of the draw in the satire? Are any PC-loving, Prop 8 opposers offended?

Barack Obama Gets One 527 to MoveOn

LibertySugar — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:00:48 -0700

Perhaps bolstering his argument that he wants a purely people-funded campaign, Barack Obama has succeeded in getting progressive group MoveOn to abandon its 527 arm. It will still raise money as a PAC, however, with more restrictions.

In 2004, MoveOn's 527 group spent $20 million. A spokesperson for the group told Talking Points Memo: "This is an affirmation that we, like Senator Obama, believe that this election can be won by ordinary Americans giving small donations."

That will be MoveOn's challenge, as it will no longer be able to raise large amounts from labor unions and max-ed-out individuals whose donations exceed $5,000 limit.

This seems like a smart move. Since Obama has proven successful with small donors, the moral pressure is now on McCain to reject 527s. If McCain cannot persuade his 527 supporters, Obama will still come out looking like he's in control of his more positive movement.

But do you think people will still be upset by Obama's abandonment of the public financing system, a decision that some say proves Obama is just like very other politician?

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What Change Would You Still Like to See in the US?

TresSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Whether you make it to the polls or not, today is election day and marks one year since Americans elected Barack Obama as president. If you're curious how Obama managed to win, you can watch the documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama airing tonight on HBO. The film includes behind-the-scenes campaign footage and interviews with staff, volunteers, supporters, and opponents.

During the campaign, we heard a lot from Obama about "change." Among his accomplishments so far? There's the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the protection of wilderness through setting aside federal land, legislation that allows the federal government to regulate tobacco, and a new defense bill that cuts pricey weapons programs. Still, supporters are waiting for some big-ticket change items, like the closing of Guantanamo, the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and real healthcare reform.

What change would you like to see?

Link Time! Heroes Is Killing Off a Major Character

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:30:36 -0800

Want to know who's getting the ax on Heroes? Click here for the spoiler - Watch With Kristin
Commemorate Election Day '09 with five of the best election campaigns in movies - MTV Movies Blog
Director/writer Richard Kelly talks about The Box and whether he would push the button - Collider
Weezer continues their run of head-scratching collaborations. Check them out with Chamillionaire, Sara Bareilles, and . . . Kenny G?! - Stereogum
Hey Muse fans, here's their new video for Undisclosed Desires! - Rolling Stone
Your childhood Berenstain Bears are coming to the big screen - Moviefone
Critics are just not liking the new Chris Brown album cover, and I have to agree - Vulture
Gordon Ramsay is taking on another cooking show for Fox - YumSugar
Now here's a holiday cover I can get behind: Strokes singer Julian Casablancas is taking on the SNL ditty, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today." Genius. - Pitchfork

Photo courtesy of NBC

Obama Campaign Takes Money Now, Asks Questions Later

CitizenSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:00:31 -0700

Is Obama's campaign piggy bank a murky shade of sneakiness? By allowing donors to use prepaid credit cards, which are for the most part untraceable, the Obama campaign could be allowing donors to dodge limits or hide a donor's identity. That combined with a huge chunk of donations being given online, basic security measures to stop illegal or anonymous money from hitting the campaign account are nonexistent. The campaign's solution is to take the money now, and study the list for illegal donations or discrepancies later.

The campaign says the FEC rules don't require screening of the money before it's been accepted, but their methods seem problematic. Recent filings have included donations from the likes of "Doodad Pro." The biggest problem seems to be the prepaid cards, which makes it impossible to check for any of the identity or contribution limits, as well as whether the money is coming from a foreign source, a problem they've faced all campaign. An investigation of the money situation was prompted in part by a $174,800 donation from one person listed in a FEC report - the limit is $2,300. Problematic in itself, but made worse by the fact that the person didn't even do it - someone else was using her name.

This can't be the campaign finance reform Obama's in favor of - can it?

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Let's Dish: How Did You Ring in Election Night?

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:00:53 -0800

Regardless of who you voted for, last night was a monumental night in American history. I wasn't feeling so well, so I watched history unfold at home with a beer, although in any other capacity I would've attended PartySugar and LibertySugar's election night bash.

How did you ring in the election? Did you tune in at a sports bar, or throw your own party? What was your election night drink of choice?

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Would You Eat This Palin Sandwich?

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:30:09 -0800

Last week I couldn't stop gushing about Ike's Place, my new favorite sandwich joint in town. Well, this weekend, I made a return trip there and tried one of their new offerings, an election-minded sandwich called The Palin.

Generously sized for its $8.98 price tag, The Palin was jam-packed with shredded chicken breast, deep-fried mozzarella sticks, blue cheese, and Frank's Red Hot Sauce. While I wished there had been a little less hot sauce, I thought the result was one heavenly mess.