Money Is All in Nomination Campaigns, Group Says (Dean Should Win Nod)

[Khephra]

Money Is All in Nomination Campaigns, Group Says
18 minutes ago Add Politics - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By David Morgan

MANCHESTER, N.H. (Reuters) - If recent history is any guide, Howard Dean (news - web sites) may have locked up the presidential nomination at midnight on New Year's Eve when he became 2003's best-funded Democratic hopeful, a public-interest group said on Wednesday.

Research into campaign funding by the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity shows that since the mid-1970s every party nomination has gone to the candidate who raised the most money the year before the election and qualified for federal matching funds.

The center is a nonprofit group that conducts independent research into issues of public interest including government accountability.

"It's true for both parties," said Charles Lewis, the center's executive director and author of the book "The Buying of the President 2004" (HarperCollins), which charts the role played by money in modern presidential politics.

more.................

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&ncid=584&e=2&u=/nm/20040114/pl_nm/campaign_money_dc

[LuminousX]

1. On one hand this is great,

on the other, this demonstrates what is wrong with our system. While I do believe Dean's wide and shallow strategy is bringing democracy back to the democratic process, the idealist in me (a very small guy tucked securely away in a straightjacket, I assure you) really wish that money wasn't an issue. I really want the high school teacher to have the same chance to be President as the son of a President.

[robbedvoter]

2. So should W, by that rule.

Does the fact that Clark has more in the bank counts?

[David Dunham]

3. This Isn't Right; Dean's Lead Is Failing

In 2000, Bill Bradley raised more money than Al Gore, but Gore won every primary. Dean's money advantage means little, especially given the very negative press articles appearing about him with increasing frequency.