Blog For Arizona

Popping the Caps: Your Call

Dean for America: The Vote
Dean is taking an extraordinary approach to the decision as to whether he should accept Federal matching funds; he is letting us decide. If he declines those funds, he will be able to exceed the fundraising limit, 44.6 million, of the matching funds program - thus 'popping the caps'. Accepting the money and limiting spending in the primary could leave the campaign without funding moving into the Convention.

Rather than making this key strategic decision that has critical political import himself, behind closed doors, with close advisors, Dean is leaving the decision to the people who put him on top: us. Tommorrow morning letters will go out the all the people who have registered their support for Dean on the website asking for your decision.

Of course the strategy also pulls the sting of seeming to walk away from his pledge of supporting meaningful campaign finance reform. But fighting Oscar de la Hoya with your hands tied behind your back is just stupid, even if you abbhor violence. Beating Bush's quarter-billion dollar roadshow is going to take lots of money. If Dean sticks to public finance all the way, he could spend 44.6 million in the primary and 74 million for the General. A relatively paltry 118.6 million: a two to one spending disadvantage.

Well, that is the same disadvantage Gore had in 2000, and still managed to win the popular vote. But ask yourself whether we can afford to let the GOP get within stealing distance in 2004? Then decide if political purity is worth another possible 4 years of Bush - do you think we'll get meaningful campaign finance reform from him? I think you can tell how I'm going to vote.

Pop the caps and damn the torpedoes, Doc!

posted by Michael Bryan @ 11/05/2003 01:06:00 AM