Value Judgment: John Kerry's Ruler

Value Judgment is a daily weblog written by two independent voters on the eastern seaboard of the United States. VJ will focus on the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaigns, including strategy, tactics, and substance. The authors supported Howard Dean in the Democratic primary. Accordingly, his activities will be a prominent topic on this site.

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March 16, 2004

John Kerry's Ruler

The Kerry campaign has put up their version of Dean's bat and are aiming for $10 million in 10 days.

Come Together - $10 Million in 10 Days - Contribute Today

I have not contributed. I'm still trying to sort out whether it's true that no one can donate to the Democratic nominee after the nomination has been made official. If so, I think that's a pretty strange campaign finance rule and ask again: what do the general election matching funds match, exactly? Anyway, I'm curious how the fundraising for Kerry goes, hence the graphic. But I'm not yet ready to donate myself.

I think it would have been funnier if their heading had been Papa Bill Clinton saying "GET IN LINE!"

But then, I'm snarky like that, sometimes.

Posted by J at March 16, 2004 04:36 PM

Comments

This ought to be interesting. These things always have the potential for embarrassment. Did Dean ever aim for a million a day for an extended number of days?

I'm not giving though. Can't do it. Sorry. "Kerry: he's not Bush" isn't enough.

Posted by: Todd at March 17, 2004 10:36 AM

At the end of September, the Dean campaign pushed for $5 million in 5 days -- that was their $15M quarter. (They got it, although they changed the bat graphic halfway through and it made some people think that they hadn't gotten it... )

Posted by: J at March 17, 2004 11:06 AM

Thus far it looks to me like Kerry's on track to reach the stated goal. This should be interesting.

If Kerry reaches the goal it ought to make for some interesting propaganda material for the Kerry ad whizzes. Particularly if Kerry's able to reach it with a significant majority of it coming from small donations like Dean did. Bush could match him raised dollar for raised dollar, I'm sure. But, I seriously doubt that Bush could do so with small donations. If I were running the Kerry campaign, I'd make a BIG deal out of it.

Posted by: Kevin@TIV at March 17, 2004 03:53 PM

FYI:

Under current campaign finance laws, individuals may not accept campaign dollars to their campaign accounts once the convention has nominated them for the Presidency. All monies raised pre-nomination must be spent before the nomination or the funds go to the Party, I believe. Post Convention, each candidate receives $70 million to be used by their campaigns to run. This is supposed to give each candidate a level playing field from Convention to Election Day.

This is what I've been told by two friends of mine...one is a fundraiser for the Democrats...one a fundraiser for the GOP.

Posted by: Carla at March 17, 2004 05:58 PM