Numbers are In updated
Taylor Marsh LIVE!
3:00 p.m. eastern – 12:00 pacific
Missed the show? Podcast is up.
I’ll be on a call right before the show and will report what’s said as
soon as it’s over. It’s about Edwards and public financing, so you won’t want to miss this show.
Fundraising numbers for the 3rd quarter are in. Richardson rises.
Richardson announced he raised another $5.2 million in the third quarter.
Richardson spokesman Tom Reynolds tells the AP, “This figure obviously
separates us from the second-tier candidates and makes clear this is a four-person
race.” He may eschew public financing.Edwards’ camp, when they announced their decision to take matching funds,
indicated they would raise at least $7 million. … ..
Edwards has run smack into bad publicity on his decision to take public financing. With his numbers in Iowa softening, any perception that he can’t go head to head in the general, or that he’s not got enough financial support will only make matters worse. People don’t want to vote for someone who looks like he can’t go the distance (or beyond Iowa), which is part of SEIU’s reticense to endorse Edwards. Over the weekend the campaign began doing damage control, because the spin following the original announcement just wasn’t cutting it.
A day after John Edwards said he had decided to participate in public campaign
financing as a matter of principle, his campaign manager appeared to scale
back the candidate’s initial commitment.The campaign manager said Mr. Edwards was leaving open the possibility of
rejecting public financing for the general election campaign.Mr. Edwards’s campaign advisers said he had not meant to commit himself
for the general election, but the discrepancy added fuel to a debate over
why he had abruptly embraced public financing after long signaling that he
would not.
Anyone committing to public financing in the general when the Republicans won’t is just offering up a soft ball for the GOP. The reality of this hit the Edwards campaign. So while they were talking about being “committed to public financing,” the truth is that they’re only committed as far as it’s practical. It’s why Clinton wasn’t about to take the bait.
The story in the numbers is Bill Richardson. Edwards has given Richardson an entry, because he won’t commit to having troops
out by 2013. As I’ve said for quite some time, Richardson’s move is the one Edwards should have made. Richardson’s got plenty of time to make his case, so the Edwards people should be looking over their shoulders. Richardson’s natural audience is the same as Edwards voters.
Clinton and Obama raised around $19 million.
Lots to talk about.
Hope you can join me today.
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