Let's End This Misconception Once and For All

[anti-bush]

Accepting public financing, and opting out of the spending limits for the primaries does not prevent one from competing against George Bush moneywise in the general election.

Read that last sentence once again and let it sink in:

Accepting public financing, and opting out of the spending limits for the primaries does not prevent one from competing against George Bush moneywise in the general election.


The spending limits only apply to the primary season, and is lifted once the convention happens. Candidates will be able to spend $45 million dollars up until the convention. After the convention, candidates will be able to spend $250 million (or however much they can raise) to compete with George Bush.

I'm tired of reading this bullshit as a reason not to vote for Edwards. You've been misled, and you've been lied to.

[Eric J in MN]

1. no, they each spend $74 million after receiving respective nominations

The fund-raising is for before the convention in late July.

Candidates who didn't opt out can spend $45 million until then.

[anti-bush]

2. No! That is the Misconception!

Here is the TRUTH http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/documents/how_pub_fi_works.pdf:



Limit total campaign spending of private and public funds for all primary elections to about $45 million in the 2004 primary election.
· Limit campaign spending of private and public funds in each state to about $740,000 in
the 2004 primary election, or to a specified amount based on the number of voting age
individuals in the state, whichever is greater.
· Limit spending from personal funds to $50,000.

...

Thus far in the 2004 primary election, only
Bush has opted out of the public financing program in the primaries.

Okay, it's old. But George Bush OPTED OUT of the public financing for the primaries. Hmmm...

A presidential candidate who “opted out” of the public financing program in the primary election may choose to opt back into the public financing program for the general election, as George W. Bush did in the 2000 elections and is expected to do again in 2004.

You can opt back in, as all candidates are expected to do. You are not subject to spending limits after the convention. Period. End of story. Stop believing the misconception.


edit: fixed formatting.

[Eric J in MN]

3. when they opt in after the conventions, they are limited to $74 million

It isn't $74 million with no strings attached. It's $74 million based on the condition that they won't spend more.

[anti-bush]

4. It's only IF they opt in after the convention. n/t

[maddezmom]

6. thanks for pointing this out

is there a website anywhere that gives out this info? I'd love to be able to see it. :)

[anti-bush]

7. Link in post #2

or here :

http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/documents/how_pub_fi_works.pdf

[maddezmom]

10. thanks...missed it :)

[anti-bush]

5. Kick

I've never kicked one of my own posts before, but I feel strongly about this, and the misconception has been spread too far.

[markus]

8. Wrong. Bush gets to spend as much money as he wants in the primary

against the presumptive Democratic nominee. The March / May time frame (hell the March-November) time frame is going to be filled with a lot of ugly.

[1floridademocrat]

9. However..

You don't get ath money till after BOTH conventions I belive.. and the Republican one isn't until September.. which leaves all that time between the Democratic and Republican convention. And if you've opted in, your stuck if you run outta cash.. thats it. No ads, no speeches, no travel.

Happened to Gore last time around as well.

[Justice]

11. I Don't Think You Have It Quite Right

I had the same misunderstanding, until someone on DU corrected me.

Here is the issue - during the primary season, you are capped at $45 Million, unless you opt out. The primary season ends when you accept the nomination (not when both accept).

So for the Democratic nominee, that ends at the end of July - in Boston, when the nominee accepts the nomination.

The issue is what Democratic candidates have to spend during the primary battle, and whether they will be tapped out of money by spring (when the Democratic nomination race is complete) and thus unable to put up ads and have money to spend between spring and the end of July.

So when people talk about the "3 months" it is the three months between April and July -- when the nominee has been chosen via the primaries but not yet officially the nominee because the convention hasn't occurred.

It didn't hurt Gore too much because of soft money last time. This time it may be a factor - although you have the 529 organizations who can mount ads.

[anti-bush]

12. Yes, that's correct

You do have the time between the end of the primaries and the convention. That may or may not be important. I suspect that the longer the race drags out, the less effect the caps will have. If the nominee is a foregone conclusion early on, it could hurt.

But, July through November is still a large chunk of time, and the public in general probably won't be following the race until after the conventions I suspect.