Obama's Latest TV Ad

Oprah Winfrey throws Obama a Bone

Oprah Winfrey, Political Power BrokerCATO-AT-LARGEBy David Boaz on Civil Liberties

Billionaire Oprah Winfrey is making a million-dollar contribution to Barack OBAMA's presidential campaign. And despite all the campaign finance restrictions of the past 30 years, it's perfectly legal. That's because Oprah is making her contribution in the form of time on her television show, appearances with him on the campaign trail, and other uses of her celebrity. But if a rival media mogul, someone like Sumner Redstone or John Malone, wanted to make a contribution of more than $2,300 to a presidential candidate, that would be illegal. Because, you know, it's corrupt to make a large contribution. Wouldn't want the next president to be indebted to a businessman who gave him a $10,000 contribution.This Saturday, "Winfrey will host her first-ever presidential fundraising affair on the grounds of the Promised Land, her 42-acre ocean- and mountain-view estate in Montecito, Calif. — an event that is expected to raise more than $3 million for OBAMA's campaign."Matthew Mosk of the Washington Post outlines some of the other ways Winfrey might help her preferred candidate.Among the weapons in Winfrey's arsenal: the television program that reaches 8.4 million viewers each weekday afternoon, according to the most recent Nielsen numbers. Her Web site reaches 2.3 unique viewers each month, "O, the Oprah Magazine," has a circulation of 2 million, she circulates a weekly newsletter to 420,000 fans and 360,000 people have subscribed to her Web site for daily "Oprah Alerts" by e-mail.More than that, though, the Nielsen tracking data show that her most loyal viewers are women between 25 and 55 — a group that also votes in large numbers in Democratic primaries.Oprah's well aware of her power:The fundraiser may be only the start. The Winfrey and OBAMA machines have maintained silence on the exact nature of their talks over what her role will be, but the idea of her appearing in television ads and other appeals is very much in play. She offered during a recent interview with CNN's Larry King: "My money isn't going to make any difference. My value to him — my support of him — is probably worth more than any other check that I could write."…Winfrey said in an audio Web chat last week that, this year, the OBAMAs will be her only political guests.Campaign finance reform was promised as a way to make everyone equal in the political process, to squeeze out the power of big money. But one of its effects is to make some rich people more equal than others. If Oprah–or Rupert Murdoch, or Donald Graham–decides to use his or her resources to help a particular candidate, that's legal and very powerful. But the rich man who runs a software company is forbidden to use any significant part of his financial resources to help a candidate.All power to journalists and celebrities in the reformed political process.

Still a Thorn in Hillary's Side...

It's very interesting to read some of the particulars about the first round of fund raising. MJ

Donors Linked to the Clintons Shift to Obama

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/us/politics/16donate.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewan...

More and More...Obama Is Changing the Game

I've tried to position this blog right in the middle of what I see as a rapidly changing new model for US politics. Its really fascinating to watch how this continues to unfold across the political landscape.

MJ

"In Politics, the Web Changes Everything

By David Frum
Posted:
Monday, April 9, 2007

ARTICLES
National Post (Canada)
Publication Date: April 7, 2007


Resident Fellow David Frum
Hillary Clinton had everything lined up to reprise the mighty George W. Bush
nomination campaign of 1998-99.
She would use the vast donor network
inherited from her husband to raise a $100-million campaign fund. This vast
treasury would deter potential rivals from entering the race. And should anybody
in the party murmur against this buying of the nomination, she would field a
team of party leaders to warn: 'Those who are with us now will be remembered
when we win. And those who are against--they will also be remembered when we
win.'
It worked for Bush. But it's not working for Clinton." [more]

http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.25921/pub_detail.asp

Obama Raises 25 Million !

Obama Shows His Strength in a Fund-Raising Feat on Par With Clinton
By
JEFF ZELENY and PATRICK HEALY
Published: April 5, 2007
The Obama campaign
announced it had raised $25 million only days after Senator Hillary Rodham
Clinton said her campaign had raisied $26 million.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/us/politics/05obama.html?ex=1333425600&en=a06fe28b1bcaec39&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Obama Fundraising Notes and Analysis

As I said nearly a week ago...Obama is right in the mix with fundraising so far. Here is more confirmation of that. MJ
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obama, not Hillary, won the 1st quarter fundraising derby

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/04/obama_not_hillary_won_the_1st.html

Behind The Numbers: 83,531 Gave To Obama, 50,000 Gave To
Hillary

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/04/02/behind-the-numbers-8353_n_44779.html

$$$ It's All About the Money...Like it or Not

Obama is predicted to come in around 20 Million. That puts him right in the mix with a good showing so far. MJ
-----------------------------------

Fundraising race heats as deadline looms

By JIM
KUHNHENN The Associated Press 3/26/2007

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2007/03/26/ap/politics/d8o42bo80.txt