Howard Dean's Raised Voice Isn't Raising Cash

[losdiablosgato]

One hundred days into his tenure as the high-energy, higher-decibel chairman of the Democratic Party, Howard Dean is in trouble with party moneybags. The former Vermont governor seems to be doing a better job flaying the Republicans than bridging the cash chasm between the parties. Given Dean's 2004 run as a populist crusader, moderates were never wild about his takeover of the Democratic National Committee. So some big donors are sitting on their wallets.

Dean wowed the faithful in '04 with his Web-based fund-raising magic. But major business donors still count, and in his new role as party honcho, the feisty doctor seems to be struggling to connect. After achieving money parity with the GOP in 2004, Democrats have fallen far behind. According to the Federal Election Commission, the DNC raised $14.1 million in the first quarter of 2005, vs. the Republican National Committee's $32.3 million. Dean drew about 20,000 new donors, while his rivals picked up 68,200. The bottom line: Republicans have $26.2 million in the bank vs. $7.2 million for the Dems.

Why the yawning gap? For starters, Dean is not a natural fit for the "stroke and joke" style that traditional party chiefs use to extract cash from well-heeled contributors. "It appears that the chairman has come to the conclusion that he doesn't need major donors," sniffs one fat cat. "He hasn't made any effort to reach out."

Personality factors aside, Dean's business-bashing '04 campaign makes him a hard sell in corporate circles. "There's a wait-and-see attitude from business and major contributors," says Nathan Landow, a Maryland developer and big-time donor. "This guy has some work to do to get the comfort level up." William W. Batoff, a Philadelphia real estate developer and longtime Democratic fund-raiser who backed President Bush in 2000 and 2004, is less diplomatic. "Howard Dean is the wrong person to be chair," says Batoff, who claims he will help fund the Dems' congressional efforts but will boycott the national committee while Dean reigns.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_23/c3936057_mz013.htm

[ArkDem]

1. You can't believe anything the corporate media whores say...

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. So, the fat cats ain't shelling out?

Good! For myself, I'd be more likely to give the party more money if that helps to cut down on the string-ridden corporate cash.

[janx]

15. Somebody's nervous!

:rofl:

A lot of money coming from individuals could potentially cut some strings.

[SCDem]

3. Whatever

That's away for the DNC to raise money for Batoff to "boycott" the national committee. The democratic party is the people's party not the party of corporate elitists.

[dogday]

4. We Wil Raise What We Need To Raise and Dean Will Do A Great

Job Of Getting It Done. Republicans don't like Howard cause he don't play that homey....

[realFedUp]

5. any totals on money raised for state parties?

I imagine those have been larger than
in the past for a non-election year.

[losdiablosgato]

9. All I have info on is the TX state party

And they are hurting for money. I remember a post here a while back saying so.

[janx]

14. So your source is a post you saw here awhile back?

:shrug:

[losdiablosgato]

16. Like I said this is all I have heard

Sorry I do not have anything more concrete. But the point remains we need cash.

[janx]

17. We're getting cash.

It's getting interesting!

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. Now why do I suspect everything the business media says?

[nickshepDEM]

7. I know its early, but so far Im very disappointed with Dean as DNC chair.

And please don't come jumping on my case. I backed Dean for DNC chair. With that said, Ill make my final judgement after the 2006 midterms.

[xchrom]

8. i've been donating -- but i don't

have much money.

and i'm donating because dean took over -- and btw i'm not particularly a dean fan.
but mcaulife was foul -- and dean at least talks like a democrat should publicly.

[blm]

10. I don't believe this article. They tapped Bush supporters to make a point?

They aren't real Democrats. If you're a real estate developer who supported Bush it was because you hate Kerry's environmental positions.

[shoelace414]

11. and how well

did the democratic party raise money in 2001?

the democratic party usually rauises less money than the republican party.

[losdiablosgato]

13. Money is the live blood of politics

You need as much as you can get to win.

[shoelace414]

20. my point is

How well is he rasing money compayed to historical data.

The headline is very negative to Howard Dean. why? should it be? is it valid?

[Al-CIAda]

31. At least get your cliche' correct. It's 'life's blood of politics'...

...and incidentally all the more reason to get money OUT of politics (campaign finance reform).

[EST]

12. The very last thing we need is another sly, winking shill,

going along to get along and selling out the party of the people to the same criminal creeps as usual. Go, Howard!!
We won't get the respect we deserve by being the same conscience-appeasing yayhoos that the enemy already has far too many of.


On edit, as my ol' buddy, Irel Levant, used to say, "F...U...K...M..."

[Cha]

18. With Democrats like these

"William W. Batoff, a Philadelphia real estate developer and longtime Democratic fund-raiser who backed President Bush in 2000 and 2004, is less diplomatic. "Howard Dean is the wrong person to be chair," says Batoff, who claims he will help fund the Dems' congressional efforts but will boycott the national committee while Dean reigns."

The asshole backed bush in 2000 and 2004? Keep your fucking blood money..you pervert!

Oh, and batoff..your boy(monkeyface) is doing so well..you must be so proud of your treason.

[MindPilot]

19. Most of us I think donate to individual candidates

and have vowed to refrain from donating to the democratic party until it represents us instead of the corporations.

[MindPilot]

21. "high-energy, higher-decibel chairman of the Democratic Party"

they just can't leave it alone can they?

[sharonking21]

22. This may be true but

in part what is happening, I think, is that many of us grassroots types are still tapped out from last year. I overdid it on several fronts and I know that is my situation--I've had to turn everyone down for a while as I try to recoup, including the national party when they call. Has zilch to do with Dean.

[Botany]

23. Bullshit!

Why did Dr. Dean say this AM on Stephanie Miller that we are ahead of the
game for money raising.

[BuelahWitch]

24. He raised a ton of money in Kansas in Feb

At least, our Lawrence rally was sold out within a few hours after tix became available. Almost sold out Topeka too. And I know my friend raised alot of money at the house party she held before the rally (at $100 a head).

That article is just more Rethuglican Tokyo Rose stuff...

[KoKo]

25. Beware what the coporate media like "Businessweek" say. We've

learned not to trust them. This is DLC and maybe even Repug Bullshit.

Dean will have the money when it's needed. We have left over funds from last year, remember.

[wabeewoman]

26. Funny but I was just reading

an article about how Dean was directing so much money to the states including Texas. One sure way to tell how he is doing is to listen to the RW rags and stepford talkers. We will never make as much as Republicans because democrats don't get the $$ from corporations who want to feed at the government trough and get their donations back. It should be a badge of honor: Halburton doesn't contribute to dems because we won't sell the country out. I'd say Dean is doing fine:

DNC Raises Record Amount of Money from Low-Dollar Donations
Dean Brings in over $1 million Each Week since Becoming Chairman

Washington, DC - During the first quarter of the year (January 1 - March 31, 2005), the Democratic National Committee (DNC) raised an unprecedented amount of funds from low dollar donations. The DNC received $14.1 million in contributions; $12.1 million from small dollar donations. Since becoming chairman in mid-February, Gov. Howard Dean has focused on the grassroots, raising over $1 million a week - a record amount of money.

http://www.democrats.org/news/200504200003.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19554-2005Feb12.html

[XemaSab]

27. This is complete shit

I get emails from Dean all the time talking about how they're raising buckets of cash and putting paid operatives in many states. I'd rather believe Dean than some asshole developer who supported Bush in 2000 and 2004.

[janx]

29. People seldom look at sources these days.

The media have gotten so screwed up and greedy, and people will believe almost anything they read or see on television.

Even here (and maybe especially here), people watch television and then talk about what they are watching instead of taking a critical look at what they're watching. So easily manipulated...

[Rose Siding]

28. Fat cat, bush supporting donors aren't getting stroked and joked?

I have a dilemma. Do I send $50 now, or commit to $25/mo?

:yourock: Howard :thumbsup:

[janx]

30. Dean made the point again today--

Corporate donors? OK. Send in $25 when you can...because there are a lot more of us than there are of them. ;-)

It's working! The DNC web site is looking mighty good at present.

[Cha]

32. The DNC site

is lookin' real good today! :kick: