It seems that some campaign finance committee members are a bit concerned with Barack Obama’s fund raising coffers. While the Obama camp has repeatedly stated they are confident that appropriate funds will continue to pour in, the move to not accept public funding adds another layer of complexity to the Senator’s schedule.
Unlike McCain who accepted 84 million in public backing from the treasury, Obama refused such funds. The difference is that McCain finance cannot be funded by public donations anymore, he is capped at the $84. However, the Rebublican Party can put financial support behind him. Some view this restriction as a financial henderance and paralyzes the potential for future fundraising. The upside, though, is that Mr. McCain gets to focus 100% of his time on policy and campaigning for citizen’s votes.
Unlike McCain, Obama will continue to have to devote a substantial part of his campaigning to fundraising. This means a more hectic schedule for the senator in the upcoming months.
In a week August finance reports will be privy to us all and we can actually see how much each of the candidates have saved up. Obama spent August away with high cost advertising, he better get rolling soon.
Barack Obama’s choice not to apply for public funding shows a willingness to earn money on his own merit alone and not because of the prestige of his party. This decision legitimizes his claims of change as it would appear hypocritical to accept campaign money from a government he believes is not doing it’s job correctly.
Indeed. And Obama undoubtedly knows that people will recognize, and hopefully approve, of this decision. However, it undoubtedly adds stress to his campaign schedule.