Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Obama's Spendthrift Campaign
Weekly Standard Blog ^ | June 10, 2008 | Jaime Sneider

Posted on 06/10/2008 12:18:03 PM PDT by Parmenio

Just because the Obama campaign doesn't pay for cabs from O'Hare and staffers are expected to double-up at hotels doesn't make it frugal. Indeed, Obama oversees a team of 700 people--more than twice as many as Bush in 2004--the biggest, most bloated campaign in the history of presidential elections:

"So far in 2008, combined campaign-spending data for the three most recent months available--February, March and April--show that Sen. Obama outspent Sen. McCain 4.5-to-1 on staff salaries, more than 2-to-1 on office rents, and 25-to-1 on broadcast advertising, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Sen. Obama has about 700 employees on the payroll, scattered across 19 states. The McCain cadre is around 100, divided among a handful of local offices."

These hired guns aren't going to deliver Obama the presidency. Having that many cooks in the kitchen is going to dilute his message and bleed him dry. With a burn rate of 114 percent, the Obama campaign won't be able to maintain spending at primary levels even if fundraising were to remain constant--which is unlikely because so many Democratic donors have already given the maximum contribution.

Makes you wonder what kind of tax-and-spend operation Obama will run once he doesn't have to depend on voluntary contributors to foot the bill. Also makes you wonder how biased the media must be that it would characterize the Obama campaign as lean and efficient when in reality it is desperate, spendthrift, and broke. Finally, makes you wonder how a guy who has raised all this money, won his party's nomination, and received all this fawning attention for his historic achievement remains very nearly tied in the polls.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; campaignfinance; carter2; carterredux; electionpresident; obama
To counter this, it can be said that the Obama campaign has organizations in every state. But the burn rate is hot and heavy. And every dollar raised for Obama from now on is a dollar taken away from the campaigns of down ticket Dems.

But making staffers share hotel rooms? That's asking for a lawsuit.

1 posted on 06/10/2008 12:18:05 PM PDT by Parmenio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Parmenio

Wonderful news, and not surprising.

That said, he can ride on free media support from here on out.


2 posted on 06/10/2008 12:21:07 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (McCain is the best candidate of the Democrat party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Parmenio

Don’t worry - Soros has a lot more to give.


3 posted on 06/10/2008 12:21:20 PM PDT by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Parmenio
the Obama campaign doesn't pay for cabs from O'Hare

huh ? has more been written on this ? don't they have to consider it a campaign contribution ?
4 posted on 06/10/2008 12:21:54 PM PDT by stylin19a
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Parmenio
But making staffers share hotel rooms? That's asking for a lawsuit.

Why? Aren't all sorts of trips based on double occupancy? As long as it isn't coed, who cares?
5 posted on 06/10/2008 12:22:49 PM PDT by visualops (artlife.us . nature photography desktop wallpapers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

When a repub outspends a dem, the MSM screams about the harm big money is doing. Now that Obama is outspending McCAin, its all sweet and good!


6 posted on 06/10/2008 12:28:00 PM PDT by Holicheese (Hillary deserves the CMoH for her time in Tuzla!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Parmenio

Yet the media insists that people don’t really know Obama yet.

Given the way he bombarded every state with ads there ought to be no doubt that everyone knows him very well.

Empty suit and all.


7 posted on 06/10/2008 12:45:29 PM PDT by Carley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: visualops

I’ve always thought that companies who made employees share rooms were increasing their risk for sexual harassment or workplace harassment lawsuits.


8 posted on 06/10/2008 12:45:29 PM PDT by Parmenio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Parmenio

Who’s putting up the money?


9 posted on 06/10/2008 1:20:43 PM PDT by popdonnelly (Does Obama know ANYONE who likes America, capitalism, or white people?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Holicheese

“Now that Obama is outspending McCAin, its all sweet and good!”

You don’t expect the news media to be principled, do you? They’re Democrats supporting a Democrat.


10 posted on 06/10/2008 1:22:43 PM PDT by popdonnelly (Does Obama know ANYONE who likes America, capitalism, or white people?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: stylin19a

The implication is that they must take public transportation...(but, in reality, probably take a limo).


11 posted on 06/10/2008 1:35:50 PM PDT by Mr. Lucky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Lucky
oh, i get it now. the el train actual does go from ohare to dowtown and points beyond...
but, if they want to be frugal, they should be flying into midway commercial. course, who wants to drag bags on buses.
12 posted on 06/10/2008 4:26:41 PM PDT by stylin19a
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Parmenio

Well, this isn’t a normal company, these are campaign staffers who are expected to make all sorts of acquiescences for the candidate and the “cause”. A normal company I don’t think would have employees to share a room when traveling to a meeting or convention or sales reps on the road. I’ve never heard of it.


13 posted on 06/10/2008 5:43:34 PM PDT by visualops (artlife.us . nature photography desktop wallpapers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson