A few weeks ago, we received an email from President Obama, complaining that Romney was on par to outspend him, and as usual, asking for a campaign donation. Since then, we’ve continued to receive emails begging for money and Obama’s campaign recently bragging, “We outraised Mitt Romney and the Republicans $114 million to $111 million in August.” But, what’s interesting is that Obama actually out-raised and outspent John McCain in the 2008 presidential election–and not by just a little bit either!
Specifically, an email from Barack Obama complained (full text of email at the end of article):
I will be the first president in modern history to be outspent in his re-election campaign, if things continue as they have so far.
I’m not just talking about the super PACs and anonymous outside groups — I’m talking about the Romney campaign itself.
How much money did Obama raise in the 2008 campaign?
According to The Center for Responsive Politics, Barack Obama raised about $745 million during his bid for the presidency in 2008 (see graphs below). John McCain only raised $368 million in the 2008 campaign season. This means that Obama raised more than TWICE what McCain brought in back in 2008!
Was he complaining about inequity of funds raised back then? Of course not, because he understood that the person with the most money to spend on marketing usually wins the election!
According to the New York Times, by October 18, 2008, Obama’s campaign had “raised more than $600 million, almost equaling what all the candidates from both major parties collected in private donations in 2004.” The bottom line is that Barack Obama collected record-breaking campaign donations back in 2008, but it didn’t stop there.
Obama’s Citizen’s United Hypocrisy
In terms of Obama’s unbridled fundraising, all was well until Citizen’s United and its subsequent U.S. Supreme Court ruling came along. This case brought up the issue of whether corporations and unions have the same First Amendment free speech rights as individuals. The more specific issue was whether corporations and unions could use their money on election-related independent expenditures. In the end, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions do have the same rights of speech as individuals, such that these entities could freely participate in independent election-related activities–like campaign ads.
It’s important to understand that Obama didn’t have an issue with record contributions until others had the potential to out-raise him. In his 2010 State of the Union Address, the president chose to spin his opposition to his potential fundraising competition like this:
“With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests –- including foreign corporations –- to spend without limit in our elections. (Applause.) I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities.”
Interesting that he says corporations shouldn’t bankroll elections when he accepted millions from corporations in the 2008 campaign. He would have you believe that special interest and corporations have little bearing when it comes to him being elected, but we know this isn’t true. Furthermore, we’ve seen from the many decisions he’s made during his presidency that he is in bed with big business and all of their interests–whether he admits it or not.
Nevertheless, President Obama continued to break records as he geared up for his reelection in 2012. By July 2011, Obama had already broken fundraising records for the Democratic National Convention, as well as his own campaign fundraising efforts.
Then, from the Obama camp’s perspective, the unthinkable happened. In June and July of 2012, Mitt Romnney out-raised Barack Obama. In August, as his campaign was fighting to increase fundraising, Obama continued his criticism of Citizens United, saying, “Over the longer term, I think we need to seriously consider mobilizing a constitutional amendment process to overturn Citizens United (assuming the Supreme Court doesn’t revisit it). Even if the amendment process falls short, it can shine a spotlight of the super-PAC phenomenon and help apply pressure for change.” If the Citizen’s United decision were the same and Democrats still outspent Republicans, they wouldn’t constantly denounce it. Democrats are against Citizens United and unlimited funding, because Barack Obama is no longer the biggest spender.
During this same period, the Obama camp stepped up their email complaints of being outspent, hoping to turn the situation around. Their marketing efforts worked, because in August 2012, they managed to out-raise Romney. A large number of Obama’s donations were a few hundred dollars. They’d like to keep it this way, since they know that Republicans rely on larger donations and super PACs.
Obama’s Comments At The DNC
The Democratic National Convention was held earlier this month, and Barack Obama continued to make specific comments aimed at swaying public opinion on the Citizens United ruling:
- “I know campaigns can seem small, even silly sometimes. If you give up on the idea that your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void, the lobbyists and special interests, the people with the $10 million checks who are trying to buy this election and those who are trying to make it harder for you to vote.”
- “Trivial things become big distractions. Serious issues become sound bites. The truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising. And if you’re sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me, so am I.”
- “If you reject the notion that our government is forever beholden to the highest bidder, you need to stand up in this election.”
All of these comments are aimed at convincing people he wants to vote for him that unlimited fundraising is wrong, and they should oppose it. We know, however, that he doesn’t really believe this. We know that when Obama is in the winning column, unbridled fundraising and spending are perfectly fine.
Our Letter To Obama
Let’s be clear, we’re no fan of Romney either, and the lack of Romney coverage has everything to do with the view of him as a non-factor in this race for president–his own party can’t stand him, so why waste time examining his every move? Who and what Romney is is obvious to even the most dense among us.
Consequently, the focus on President Obama, however, is rooted in the desire to see people–especially Black people–demand more of him. The Obama campaign has the gall to send us emails begging for money, as if he should be rewarded for his less than stellar performance as president. No sir, we won’t reward a wolf in sheep’s clothing! If we thought that Obama would actually receive our email, we’d write him a response to those begging emails that would go something like this:
Dear President Obama,
We received your email asking us to donate “$3 or more” of our hard-earned money, but we can not–will not–give you our money when you continue to abuse the power of your position.
You have ordered the execution of U.S. citizens without due process, and you continue to fly drone attacks that kill and wound innocent people every day. In fact, you’ve flown more drone attacks than Bush!
You told us that you would end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the implication was that you wouldn’t continue the neocolonialistic conquests for resources that we’d seen in the past. While it’s true that you pulled out of Iraq (in large part because they refused to give military forces immunity for the crime against humanity they continued to commit there), you went to parts of Africa.
You deported more undocumented immigrants, than your predecessor, then turned around and tried to give Latinos a last-minute consolation by putting in place a policy that undocumented young people can add their names to a list which will give them a 2-year reprieve from deportation from the only country they’ve likely ever known as home.
We know that you’re banking on us saying, “We know Obama didn’t honor his commitment, but he’s better than the other guy.” Although we don’t view your opponent, Mitt Romney, as fit for leadership either, we WILL NOT choose between the “lesser of two evils” in this situation. The way to reconcile our dissatisfaction with your performance is not to lend support to Romney, but rather to support neither of you.
Sincerely,
Heit & Cheri
Barack Obama’s 2008 Campaign Contributions
John McCain’s 2008 Campaign Contributions
Full Text of Obama’s email #1:
I will be the first president in modern history to be outspent in his re-election campaign, if things continue as they have so far.
I’m not just talking about the super PACs and anonymous outside groups — I’m talking about the Romney campaign itself. Those outside groups just add even more to the underlying problem.
The Romney campaign raises more than we do, and the math isn’t hard to understand: Through the primaries, we raised almost three-quarters of our money from donors giving less than $1,000, while Mitt Romney’s campaign raised more than three-quarters of its money from individuals giving $1,000 or more.
And, again, that’s not including the massive outside spending by super PACs and front groups funneling up to an additional billion dollars into ads trashing me, you, and everything we believe in.
We can be outspent and still win — but we can’t be outspent 10 to 1 and still win.
More than 2.2 million Americans have already chipped in for us, and I’m so grateful for it. As we face this week’s fundraising deadline, can you make a donation of $3 or more today?
Every donation you make today automatically enters you to join Michelle and me for one of the last grassroots dinners of this campaign — today is your last chance to get your name in.
These dinners represent how we do things differently. My opponent spent this past weekend at a secretive retreat for the biggest donors to both his campaign and the super PACs that support him.
I’ve got other responsibilities I’m attending to.
Donate today to stand for our kind of politics:
[link removed]
Thank you,
Barack
Full Text of Obama’s email #2:
We’re getting outraised — a first for a sitting president, if this continues. Not just by the super PACs and outside groups that are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into misleading ads, but by our opponent and the Republican Party, which just outraised us for the second month in a row.
We can win a race in which the other side spends more than we do. But not this much more.
So I need your help. If you believe that regular people should decide elections, then please chip in $3 or more today.
This isn’t about me or the outcome of one election.
This election will be a test of the model that got us here. We’ll learn whether it’s still true that a grassroots campaign can elect a president — whether ordinary Americans are in control of our democracy in the face of massive spending.
I believe we can do this. When all of us chip in what we can, when we can, we are the most powerful force in politics.
But today is the day to prove it. Donate now:
[link removed]
Thank you — for everything you’ve done before and everything you’re doing now. It matters.
Barack
Sources:
Barack Obama’s 2008 Campaign Spending
John McCain’s 2008 Campaign Spending
Obama Recasts the Fund-Raising Landscape
Obama Fundraising For 2012 Campaign, DNC Breaks Record
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