The Money Primary: Nabbing the 'Low-Hanging Fruit'
A Reuters story out today puts Dean rival Sen. John Edwards' first-quarter fundraising total at $7.4 million. The story cites expectations of more the $4 million each for Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Dick Gephardt and $1.5 million for Howard Dean. (It does not provide any information on totals for Sen. Joe Lieberman.)
The following excerpt puts the results in context:
Similarly, Sen. Kerry and Rep. Gephardt have the connections to raise this friendly money. Sen. Kerry's wife is the Heinz ketchup heiress and he has been a fixture of Boston and Washington high society for decades. Gephardt, another Washington insider, ran for president once before and travelled the country tirelessly during the last several election cycles, cultivating donors for his repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to lead Democrats back into the majority in the House of Representatives.
Dean, as the "outsider" candidate from a small state, contends with fewer opportunities to raise this early money. But he also benefits from lower expectations because of that fact. If he manages to meet or exceed the expectations of the political establishment and his own campaign, it will emphasize his credibility as a candidate and allow him to focus on what this campaign is really about: reaching people, showing them his vision, and taking his -- and our -- country back.
The following excerpt puts the results in context:
Donnie Fowler, a national field director for Gore's 2000 campaign, said that while many view the first-quarter totals as a sign of a campaign's strength, he considers the second and third quarters more telling.By that logic it seems that Edwards would do well at this early stage; as a wealthy trial lawyer, his connections to other wealthy trial lawyers around the country mean that his low-hanging fruit is probably by far the juiciest.
Much of the first-quarter money is "low-hanging fruit,'' he said.
"It's the easiest money because it's family and friends,'' Fowler said. "They're going to give money to you regardless of whether you're viable, regardless of whether they agree with you on all the issues, regardless of what the media's saying.''
Similarly, Sen. Kerry and Rep. Gephardt have the connections to raise this friendly money. Sen. Kerry's wife is the Heinz ketchup heiress and he has been a fixture of Boston and Washington high society for decades. Gephardt, another Washington insider, ran for president once before and travelled the country tirelessly during the last several election cycles, cultivating donors for his repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to lead Democrats back into the majority in the House of Representatives.
Dean, as the "outsider" candidate from a small state, contends with fewer opportunities to raise this early money. But he also benefits from lower expectations because of that fact. If he manages to meet or exceed the expectations of the political establishment and his own campaign, it will emphasize his credibility as a candidate and allow him to focus on what this campaign is really about: reaching people, showing them his vision, and taking his -- and our -- country back.
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