News that Senator Barack Obama had raised at least $25 million for his presidential campaign during the first quarter has now put the spotlight on how Senator Hillary Clinton's camp may feel. Just a few days ago, the $26 million Clinton raised during the quarter was touted as "historic" and "record-setting," but now Obama's take is getting the ink - the NY Times' headline is Obama Shows His Strength in a Fund-Raising Feat on Par With Clinton while the Post and Daily News put the news on their covers.
Obama's $25 million has come from 100,000 supporters, while Clinton's $26 million is from 50,000 supporters, which points to Obama's fund-raising strategy of bigger events with smaller donations while Clinton has gone after fewer but donors who will pony up more. Obama plans to spend $23.9 million of the money for the primary, while Clinton's primary spending numbers are unclear but she did transfer $10 million from her Senate campaign war chest. Hmm, maybe Clinton's people are re-thinking her expensive Senate re-election spending.
Clinton supporter John Castimidis tells the Daily News, "Anybody with $25 million in the bank has to be taken seriously," but predicted, "By the end of the year, [Hillary Clinton will raise] $100 million." And Clinton's campaign even released a statement about Obama's fund-raising numbers: "We are thrilled with our historic fundraising success and congratulate Senator Obama and the entire Democratic field on their fundraising, which demonstrates the overwhelming desire for change in our country."
Fun fact: Obama raised $6.9 million online, while Clinton raised $4.2 million via the Interwebs. The National Review has a piece about what the money means to the 2008 presidential race, while Daily Kos looked at how the fund-raising numbers for both parties show where the energy is.
Photograph of the junior Senator from New York at a campaign stop in Iowa yesterday by Matthew Putney/AP
