Oh, yes: Ohio hot for Obama
He rakes in cash faster than might be expected
Money is certainly the imperative for a successful presidential bid and it is what propelled Barack Obama across the country in a series of one-day stands for the past two weeks, from Iowa to New Hampshire to South Carolina to the bountiful arms of L.A. showbiz mogul David Geffen to Texas and finally to the straitened streets of Ohio.
It is anticipated presidential wannabes will have to raise at least $100 million each to get through the caucuses and primaries. The 2008 race for the White House could be the first $1 billion presidential campaign, says Candice Nelson, director of the Campaign Management Institute at American University.
The ante was upped in 1996, Nelson explains, when magazine magnate Steve Forbes entered the Republican race and said he wouldn't accept any public financing. His rival, Bob Dole, quickly ran out of money and every presidential candidate since, Democrat or Republican, has tried to rely more on private financing and less on the public dole.
That means if Obama goes the same private route, he will need to raise about $2 million a week over the next year.
But word gets out. In Ohio on Monday he attended four fund-raisers across the state -- he breakfasted with the affluent in Cincinnati, lunched with the deep-pockets in Columbus, and attended two money-raising events in Cleveland before holding an 8 p.m. rally at a community college, where, understandably, after two weeks of stumping for funds and fans, he gave his speech in a very hoarse voice.
It all seems to be working. Larry and Donna James -- he is an unremitting Republican, she is an independent -- held a lunch for Obama in Columbus and raised at least $100,000. About 120 people attended and the Jameses had to turn others away. The tickets went for $500, $1,000 or $2,300. "We doubled our target," says Donna.
Larry, a powerful African-American attorney who voted for Bush in '04, says Obama's optimism and authenticity have won him over. "I like this candidate an awful lot."
"As a second-generation Indian American, his book Dreams From My Father resonated with me," Chandra, a Democrat, says. "His books convinced me that he has a depth that is refreshing and an ability to communicate that is unparalleled and he has a breadth of understanding about the world." Whew! The Obama people should use Chandra in an ad campaign.
All of this is heady stuff for Obama, getting money from die-hard Republicans and Hollywood honchos, and being mobbed by students who have felt disengaged by the political process and think of George Bush and Bill Clinton as white geezers. The truth will be told on March 31 when candidates report their campaign donations. Meanwhile, Obama should stock up on throat lozenges.