Friday, February 8, 2008

Establishment?

So, it would seem that the Clinton campaign is scared. First with the injection of $5 million of their personal money into the campaign at the end of the month... Which, actually...does anyone other than me take issue with the fact that individuals are limited to contributing $2300 a year, unless it is to their own campaign? Seriously, if that line was drawn to create some equitability in the system, it needs to be extended to include campaign contribution limits for your own campaign.

My problem here isn't just with this particular injection of personal fortune into campaign funds, it's just the one that has me thinking about it most recently. Oh, and can someone tell me how "lending" money to a campaign differs from donating it? But, I digress...

So, Hillary is looking scared. First, the $5million, and now the campaign has repeatedly indicated that Obama is part of the establishment...and thus, the establishment candidate. If I understood the Clinton campaign manager in an interview earlier this week, this is because, apparently, Obama is running an establishment campaign, is the one being contributed to by the establishment, running bigs ads and ads during the Super Bowl He didn't really expound beyond that.

But, that seems odd to me. The Clinton campaign does realize that it is the CLINTON CAMPAIGN, right? Who is establishment? Obama?

Wait, is not one of the things that has brought him this far, especially with young voters, is that he is still a fresh face that hasn't yet become ingrained in the establishment?

And who has been getting massive infusions of "grassroots" money? Oh, right- Obama.

Yeah, now that they mention it, he completely sounds like the establishment candidate. right.

I mean, come on! I know he has gotten some "establishment" endorsements, but the vast majority of the money in his campaign has come from small donors, donating far under the the $2300 limit. And this is Clinton campaign. That is, the campaign of the former first lady, the multi term New York senator, that is attempting to cast the rival, the new guy, the Junior senator, as the establishment.

What gives? She's scared. That's what gives. And I take that as an encouraging sign.

If it comes down to her winning the nomination, I'll support her pretty happily. But right now, I'm much happier that the Obama campaign has momentum, grassroots support (the kind that matters these days) and has Clinton running scared...

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