Now that Dean has rejected Public Financing, will the others do it?

[virtualobserver]

I guess the real question is.....will it make any difference?

I don't think that they will, since they would lose the millions in matching funds that they are already eligible for.

Only Kerry, with his personal fortune, and Clark with his superior fundraising ability, would have any staying power in the primaries if they rejected the match.

[La_Serpiente]

1. Well

just because his wife is a multi-millionaire doesn't mean he has access to her money. In fact, the FEC ruled that he cannot use her wealth.

[virtualobserver]

3. he doesn't have her fortune, but his own is in the tens of millions

isn't it?

[tsipple]

2. Doesn't Look Like It

They'll have to decide by December 1st, so we'll know for sure in just about three weeks.

Too bad, because only a candidate who can combat Bush's corporate millions from March to July will be electable, in my opinion.

[caledesi]

4. No, bec Dean knows he has the people behind him and they

will give whatever he wants. I know bec I am one of those people who feel like I am making a difference. I feel that I am directly involved in this campaign. Trippi/Dean Campaign is novel and brilliant.

[mike1963]

5. Most of them can't afford to pass on Fed matching funds. Kerry could,

(and I saw the other posts which technically are true, but there is no way a 'gift' from Kerry's wife, for example, could be construed as anything illegal...I mean if it was simply given to him personally.)

[Syrinx]

6. I don't think so, they don't have the grass-roots movement

Maybe Clark? I doubt even him.

[LoneStarLiberal]

7. Everyone Else Will Accept. They Can't Afford Not To Do So.

Nothing's going to happen, even with Clark.

None of the other candidates has the coffers nor the prospects for ramping up fundraising that Dean has behind him. Even Clark and his much-ballyhooed fundraising connections and such can't afford to pull a move like this.

I'm still dubious of the advantages of this. Sure, it will give Dean the ability to say "I'm not spending your money to run my campaign" and it will give him leverage over everyone else (the subset that will use matching funds) in the primaries, but it's not going to do one bit of good versus Bush if Dean wins the nomination.

Why?

While novel and innovative and positive, this new financing method isn't going to be more than a speck in the road for the Bush Money Machine.

And it WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE to anyone except those of us already voting Democratic in the 2004 election that Bush whores to corporate America; those of us who care about that issue are already against him.