Bucks

The big news today was the announcement that the Obama campaign took in a record $55 million in contributions for the month of February, about $20 million more than the Clintons did in Feb., which was their best month.

I contributed my miniscule part of that February take for Obama (among the 90% of donors contributing less than $100), and I contributed more last night, to show support even after the dismaying results on Tuesday. But I find the whole thing increasingly repulsive. All that money for what? It's just more transference of wealth from the many with little to the few with too much. Some of it no doubt goes to small businesses and so on, but way too much of it goes to media giants and consultants. (Although as far as I know the Obama campaign is more modestly paid at the top than the Clinton.) It's disgusting.

It's disgusting to throw money away because the Clintons successfully played on fear and racism, as well as the old politics. And it's only the beginning. Now that Bush has endorsed McCain, he's busy helping him out by warning again that terrorists can strike the U.S. at any time.

Obama has to defend himself against both McCain and Clinton, while focusing on winning Pennsylvania in seven weeks. The Clinton staffers from Ohio and Texas are converging on PA, content to let the next two contests go (which Obama can't do.) They go in knowing what worked in those states, while the Obama folks have to figure out what didn't work. Clinton has all the cards in PA right now. She's back up 14 points in the polls, having won back the white male vote. She's got the support of the two most powerful pols in the state, the governor and mayor of Philadelphia. All the demographics favor her.

Today the Obama campaign gave the impression of sitting on their lead, and picking up super-delegates one by one. They can't do that. I understand they are strategizing for a few days, but they better come up with something new. They do have in their favor that the Clintons invariably overplay their hand--their arrogance gets the best of them very quickly. But nobody can count on that. The Obama campaign has to again start looking like the professionals in the campaign, because the Clinton kitchen sink strategy appears to be working. Contraditions are no longer an issue with them. They are perfectly willing to call on Obama to be positive while slamming him and his campaign for responding to their attacks.

It now appears that one of the issues that hurt Obama in Ohio, the questions about his support of NAFTA, were not only the product of stupidity and political cupidity in Canada, they were orchestrated by a Clinton supporter.

In any case, I'm sure PA is celebrating its windfall. Millions of dollars are going to be spent in the state, although probably not much of it will stay there.