Pick and Shovel Work
Jul 31, 2020136.2K Shares5.9M Views
There’s a fascinating detail buried in the reports on how Barack Obama outraised Hillary Clinton, $40 million to $20 million, in March.
Clinton used to enjoy a rare advantage over almost every other politician: she didn’t have to make her own fundraising calls.
Her fundraising appeal is so strong, her supporters so motivated, and her network so well organised, that Clinton is able to avoid the fate of most of her Senate colleagues, governors and other prominent candidates, who must spend demeaning hours on the telephone each week asking for campaign contributions. She doesn’t even call the "surrogates" who make fundraising calls on behalf of a candidate, each with a set goal of, say, $100,000. The money just rolls in.
That’s how I described it in the Financial Times back in 2006, when her prowesswas seen as a serious discouragement to other Democrats who might have been thinking about getting into the presidential contest.
Flash forward and it’s Obama who is enjoying that kind of advantage.
Obama’s ability to capitalize on a sustained wave of online support has enabled him to spend almost all of his time campaigning. Clinton has attended more than a dozen fundraisers since Jan. 1, and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, has appeared at more than 40, while Obama and his wife have attended fewer than 10 during that time.
class="MsoNormal" id="b_ea">onpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Bob+Casey?tid=informline" id="rcid">
Clinton is keeping up a busy fundraising schedule in the early part of this month, with stops in LA and New Mexico. Next Wednesday, there’s another big campaign fundraiser: an Elton John concert in New York. Maybe not pick-and-shovel, but it’s still work.
Dexter Cooke
Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
Latest Articles
Popular Articles