Didn't Gore choose to use matching funds??

[MoonRiver]

I think he did, but still won the popular vote. Gore would be president today if it weren't for 5 treasonous SC thugs.

So, why all the despair about General Clark choosing matching funds?

[Demobrat]

1. He did,

and therefore couldn't fight back against the smears and lies all summer. Who knows, if he hadn't maybe we wouldn't be in this mess today.

[Dookus]

5. But

Gore was polling very high in the summer. Immediately after the convention, he was at his highs, if I recall. Clearly the money disadvantage wasn't hurting him in the summer.

[MoonRiver]

6. I think Gore's big problem was not demanding a state wide recount in FL

Gore just chose not to get in the dirt with the media, which was conducting a sublime but constant smear job against him. I think he knew it was hopeless. Now, the media seems much less enamoured of * than during his 2000 campaign and first 2 years in office. Maybe these folks are starting to get p.o.'d too.

[wryter2000]

2. Gore was the incumbent

Not really, but he was the heir apparent.

I wouldn't say it's despair over having to limit campaign spending, but the spectre of 4 more years of Bush is just so scary, it seems like every little disadvantage is major.

Still, there are other sources of anti-Bush spending, such as Moveon and George Soros. No matter who the candidate is, if we all pull together we ought to be able to beat the pretender to the throne.

Signed,
A Dean support who loves your guy, too

[MoonRiver]

9. Thanks!! That makes me feel good about you and Dean!

:loveya:

[wryter2000]

12. Back atcha

:loveya:

We're in this together. Bush is the enemy.

[Padraig18]

3. 1.) He's not the incumbent; 2.) This isn't the GE.

:)

[Dookus]

4. I think it's generally a feeling of...

"if my guy did it, it's OK". Last Spring, Dean committed to using matching funds and was ready to condemn anybody who didn't so commit. Then when his fundraising took off, he decided to opt out, and his supporters (logically) support his decision.

Since Clark did not opt out, they think they have an advantage over Clark on this area, and so they keep pounding it.

Personally, I'm glad my guy is committed to public financing. I wish all the candidates were. I have no fears that Clark will be unable to get his message out.

The fact is the Republicans heavily outspend Democrats all the time, and as you correctly pointed out, Gore still won the election (and the Dem won the last two elections before that).

Money's good, but it's not everything.

[cjbuchanan]

7. Gore did but there were a few different things

The big one is that Bush raised $100 million in 2000, he is going to raise more then $200 million this time. Also, and this is the big one, he had opponents in the primaries, so most of that $100 million was spent slashing McCain and the rest. This time he has no one to spend it on other then our future nominee.

If Clark does win the nomination, he will spend a large, large portion of the $47 million maximum he could spend defeating the other 8 (um, 7, bye Carol). When he's out of money, Bush will run $200 million on ads making Clark into Satan and Clark will have no money to fight back.

That's why it is a big thing.

[w4rma]

8. Yes, and Bush raised about $100 million. This election, $200+ million is

what Bush is expected to raise, but the matching funds caps have stayed the same (at about $50 million).

[RevolutionStartsNow]

10. Yes, but he wasn't fighting $200 Million

Bush is throwing record amounts of money into this race. Don't think his opponent isn't going to have to be able to fight back HARD, and that will take money.

Bush and Rove saw last time how easy it was to smear Gore when he was defenseless, but since Gore won anyway (!), they aren't going to take any chances this time, they are going to go full out in their smear campaign.

We must be able to fight back.

[MoonRiver]

11. We have George Soros, MoveOn, and others ready to go for *'s jugular

I've heard that there is an international group of billionaires committed to defeating *. I think the Dem nominee will get lots and lots of help from concerned others, equal or surpassing what His Lowness has.

[cjbuchanan]

13. There are more Billionaires for Bush, plus the Religious right

It will be a long spring and summer if our candidate and his campaign cannot hit back at whatever Bush & Co. throw his way.

[MoonRiver]

14. Well, I don't know how many billionaires are on one side or the other,

but a whole lot of people are totally fed up with *, and Clark, IMO, has the best appeal to win them to our side (Dems, Independents and disgruntled Repubs alike). Clark will have plenty of message time. For one thing, * refuses to make impromptu news interviews (cause he's too stupid to hold his own). Clark relishes doing this kind of thing, and his brilliance and control of issues will shine like a beacon to voters.