Dean and Kerry are the only ones over $20 million

Dean has raised a little over $5 million more than Kerry. By Sept. 30th Dean had raised $25,387,497 and Kerry had raised $20,043,633. The next closest competitor is Edwards, who has raised $14,510,399.
It feels more and more like it's coming down to Dean vs. Kerry everyday.
http://www.politicalmoneyline.com/cgi-win/pml1_sql_PRESIDENTIAL.exe?DoFn=2004&server=PML2

With Clark's entry into the race, I believe it will likely be between the three of them now. Clark hasn't raised very much, but for someone just entering, he's doing remarkable well in polls, in media attention, etc.

Clark's positions on issues, contrary to the Dean campaign's assertions that the two of them agreed on so much, are incredibly close to Kerry's positions.

IMO, Kerry would make the best President - temperment, experience, knowledge, etc. Clark to me is an acceptable second place, and I would still be happy. Dean, while he would be miles better than Bush, would be one of the worst Presidents given the facts on the ground today. And I still question, regardless of the claims to the contrary, whether or not he can beat Bush.

by the swing voters like they are ignored by the hardcore Dean folks here? It seems unlikely.

Will the swing voters be excited by Dean's Bush-is-the-devil soundbites (true or not) the way the hardcore Dean folks here are? It seems unlikely.

Will Dean's fundraising, impressive as it is, be a match for Bush's war chest? It seems unlikely.



If we are to win, it's going to have to be on ideas, integrity, vision, courage and experience.

We can't beat the Republicans at their own game; we have to win as Democrats.

The Republicans will always be better a perpetrating a fraud than us:



But as one Republican I do respect once said:

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." -- Abraham Lincoln

This is what we can expect to hear from the RNC if Kerry is the Democratic nominee:

Who Is John Kerry? A Massachusetts Liberal Out Of Touch With America.
http://www.rnc.org/Newsroom/RNCResearch/Research012303.htm

KERRY AT ODDS WITH AARP ON SOCIAL SECURITY?
Losing Steam, Considers Tax Hikes & Means Testing
http://www.rnc.org/Newsroom/RNCResearch/research081403-1.htm

KERRY’S “GORE PROBLEM”
Will He Say Anything To Get Elected?
http://www.rnc.org/Newsroom/RNCResearch/research061203.htm

KERRY'S hypocritical call for more renewable energy:
http://www.rnc.org/Newsroom/Releases/June03/Kerry061803.htm

TALK ABOUT A CREDIBILITY GAP . . .
Kerry’s Proposals To Slash Intel Funding And His Naïve Statements Are At Odds With Campaign Rhetoric About Making America Safer
http://www.rnc.org/Newsroom/RNCResearch/research071603.htm

SENATOR KERRY CALLS CANDIDATE KERRY “IRRESPONSIBLE” ON WMD
http://www.rnc.org/Newsroom/RNCResearch/research061903.htm

KERRY SAID HE VOTED AGAINST PRESCRIPTION DRUG BILL
BUT HE DIDN’T. HE MISSED ALL 35 VOTES
Kerry Missed All 35 Votes On The Medicare Prescription Drug Bill. (S.1, CQ Vote #262: Prescription Drug Benefit - Passage, Passed 76-21: R 40-10; D 35-11; I 1-0, 6/27/03; S.1, CQ Vote #261: Prescription Drug Benefit - Means Test, Rejected 38-59: R 3-47; D 35-11; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #260: Prescription Drug Benefit - Alternative Plan, Rejected 21-75: R 20-29; D 1-45; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #259: Prescription Drug Benefit - Retiree Fallback Plan, Rejected 42-54: R 0-49; D 42-4; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #258: Prescription Drug Benefit - Medigap Policies, Rejected 43-55: R 1-50; D 42-4; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #257: Prescription Drug Benefit - Medicaid Coverage, Rejected 47-51: R 5-46; D 42-4; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #256: Prescription Drug Benefit - Immigrant Coverage, Rejected 33-65: R 32-19; D 1-45; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #255: Prescription Drug Benefit - Experimental Drug Coverage, Adopted 71-26: R 50-0; D 20-26; I 1-0, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #254: Prescription Drug Benefit - Premium Reduction, Rejected 39-59: R 0-51; D 39-7; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #253: Prescription Drug Benefit - Additional Disease Treatment, Agreed To 57-41: R 51-0; D 5-41; I 1-0, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #252: Prescription Drug Benefit - Alzheimer's Subsidy, Adopted 98-0: R 51-0; D 46-0; I 1-0, 6/26/03; CQ Vote #251: Prescription Drug Benefit - Asset Test, Adopted 69-29: R 22-29; D 46-0; I 1-0, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #250: Prescription Drug Benefit - Cancer Patient Coverage, Agreed To 54-44: R 51-0; D 3-43; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #249: Prescription Drug Benefit - Cancer Care, Adopted 97-1: R 50-1; D 46-0; I 1-0, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #248: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Advertisements, Rejected 39-59: R 0-51; D 39-7; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #247: Prescription Drug Benefit - Disability Services, Agreed To 50-48: R 48-3; D 2-44; I 0-1, 6/26/03; S.1, CQ Vote #246: Prescription Drug Benefit - Cost-Effectiveness Studies, Rejected 43-52: R 0-48; D 43-3; I 0-1, 6/25/03; S.1, CQ Vote #245: Prescription Drug Benefit - Durbin Substitute, Rejected 39-56: R 0-48; D 39-7; I 0-1, 6/25/03; S.1, CQ Vote #244: Prescription Drug Benefit - Premium Reduction, Rejected 39-56: R 0-49; D 39-6; I 0-1, 6/25/03; S.1, CQ Vote #243: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Advertisements, Rejected 26-69: R 0-49; D 26-19; I 0-1, 6/25/03; S.1, CQ Vote #242: Prescription Drug Benefit - Health Centers, Adopted 94-1: R 48-1; D 45-0; I 1-0, 6/25/03; S.1, CQ Vote #241: Prescription Drug Benefit - Employer Compensation, Rejected 41-55: R 0-50; D 41-4; I 0-1, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #240: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Cost Coverage, Rejected 41-54: R 0-49; D 41-4; I 0-1, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #239: Prescription Drug Benefit - Benefit Availability, Rejected 41-54: R 1-48; D 40-5; I 0-1, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #238: Prescription Drug Benefit - Two-Year Fallback Plan, Agreed To 51-45: R 48-2; D 2-43; I 1-0, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #237: Prescription Drug Benefit - Congressional Coverage, Adopted 93-3: R 50-0; D 42-3; I 1-0, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #236: Prescription Drug Benefit - Cost Sharing Extension, Agreed To 54-42: R 50-0; D 3-42; I 1-0, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #235: Prescription Drug Benefit - Canadian Price Equity, Agreed To 66-31: R 51-0; D 14-31; I 1-0, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #234: Prescription Drug Benefit - Open Enrollment Period, Agreed To 55-42: R 51-0; D 3-42; I 1-0, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #233: Prescription Drug Benefit - Third-Party Coverage, Agreed To 52-43: R 49-0; D 3-42; I 0-1, 6/24/03; S.1, CQ Vote #232: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Importation, Adopted 62-28: R 21-25; D 40-3; I 1-06/20/03; S.1, CQ Vote #230: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Patents, Adopted 94-1: R 50-1; D 43-0; I 1-0, 6/19/03; S.1, CQ Vote #229: Prescription Drug Benefit - Premium Cap, Rejected 39-56: R 0-51; D 39-4; I 0-1, 6/19/03; S.1, CQ Vote #228: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Cost Disclosure, Adopted 95-0: R 51-0; D 43-0; I 1-0, 6/19/03; S.1, CQ Vote #227: Prescription Drug Benefit - Benefit Within Medicare, Rejected 37-58: R 0-51; D 37-6; I 0-1, 6/18/03)
http://www.rnc.org/Newsroom/RNCResearch/research081403-3.htm

Nice to know where you get your information.

:eyes:

If I was doing research and that's all I could find, I wouldn't use it.
Don't trust 'em.

Newspapers, tv networks, environmental organizations, citizen advocacy groups? Yes. Valid sources, IMHO.

RNC? No.

He raised $3.5 million in about two weeks. If he can keep up a fraction fo that pace, he will have more than enough to stay comptative.

going on since early this year. The Draft took pledges and if Clark was such a hotty, he should have matched at least what Dean took in on the 2nd QTR -- $7.6 million or at least what Lieberman took in the 2nd QTR -- $5 million.

I think Clark is a good guy, but not because I'm impressed by his relatively minor contribution haul.

I don't think he would be a bad nominee. I still don't understand how anyone could have voted for Reagan in '84, but I guess I can get over it.

Dean started with $157,000 in January and Kerry had transferred over $2 million from his senate campaign war chest. Kerry financially was way ahead of Dean at the beginning of this year. Obviously Dean is a better investment banker and entreprenuer than Kerry and the others.

I'd trust Dean with my tax dollars before I'd trust them with anyone else. Dean earned $14.8 million this QTR and has $12.4 million on hand. Gephardt shows his "tax and spend liberal" self. He spent more than he took in this QTR and is struggling with Dean for the lead in Iowa.

...it's the "money in the bank" that matters now. Dean is spending, but he's raising so much that he can afford to.

$12 Million available is going to help a lot.

The man is frugal. He isn't going to spend a dime unless he absolutely has to. He is also, I believe, looking beyond the primaries to the Big Show and how he is going to have to arrange his finances to tackle the GOP juggernaut.

Gephardt is showing he is too focused on this, his last shot at the White House. He should have given it up awhile ago and become a kingmaker, but he has some sort of weird ego thing driving him to keep ramming his head into this brickwall.

and have to chuckle remembering the dire warnings that Dean was "almost broke."

I've given money to plenty of causes, but this is the first Presidential candidate I've ever donated to. I maxed out on Sept. 30, and am now focusing on donating as much of my time and efforts as I can spare. In the meantime, I'm glad he's spending my money wisely.

I am so broke, I haven't given much except blood, sweat, and tears.

<>

I feel like a schmo I am no where near maxed out. I do work hard though.

I have no doubt you are working hard, and I don't mean just against the incessant negativity on this forum.

Everyone should work as hard as you and Dr. Funk (too bad he's working for The Other Guy).

I am fortunate to have a healthy business right now, and this seems important to me. Considering that I've never given ANY money to a Presidential candidate before, this is a big deal for me. And I'm not rich, just doing well enough at the moment.

I also gave a lot because I read so many stories about people who were too broke to give, and it seemed like I should give a bit extra. Plus that damn bat made me crazy. :)

This month I am giving plenty of blood sweat and tears. What was once-per-month Meetups has turned into Meetup 1 week, Exec. Committee the next week, Working Group the following week. This Saturday I will be writing letters to Iowans, and next Wednesday will be writing to Dems in NH. Time to hit the ground running.

for instance, you could have purchased tickets to the Iowa Democratic party's Jefferson Jackson dinner and donated them to the campaign.

I haven't maxed out yet, but I bought 5 tickets and donated them to Dean. I could've just given the $200 to the Dean campaign directly, but I wanna be able to donate the next time they bring out the bat.

I guess that counts as in kind donations but seems a pretty gaping loophole. What is to stop Bill Gates from donating his private jet to a candidate and say a couple of hundred thousand computers?

it's probably classified as an in kind donation as you suggested.

you can also buy t-shirts & other paraphernalia directly from the campaign. I don't think that counts as a donation.

I hardly am in the need of ways to avoid maxing out.

And Dean has 12.44 million in the bank to Kerry's 7.79.

And Dean raised just 12.4% of his funds from maxed out $2,000 donors, while Kerry raised 49.5% of his funds from maxed out $2,000 donors.

More on Dean's lean, mean democracy machine:

http://democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=544268