Edwards Adviser Trippi: Hillary Campaign Is Broke

[Renew Deal]

Edwards senior adviser Joe Trippi has a theory about the Clinton campaign: He says that it's broke, or will be soon enough.

"There's a good chance that they're on the ropes financially," Trippi argued in an interview by cell phone from New Hampshire. "I can guarantee you their money is drying up. I don't think anyone is contributing to them."

Trippi was giving voice to a theory that's been moving around in political circles of late -- that the Hillary campaign's massive spending over the past couple months, combined with the fundraising slowdown that will inevitably attend Obama's victory over her in Iowa and possibly in New Hampshire, will ultimately leave the Hillary camp without the resources it needs to keep up its spending levels through the later primaries, as it needs to do.

The Hillary campaign had $35 million in cash on hand for the primary as of mid-October. There's no way of knowing for sure how much she's spent -- or raised -- since then until the next filing comes out.
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http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/edwards_adviser_trippi_hillary_is_broke.php

[stillcool]

1. No way...

I just can't imagine that could be the case. If anything...I'd expect them to have their money ducks lined up all the way to the White House. Jeepers..one thing Bill can do is raise money.

[surfermaw]

8. I think Bill can raise the money

[gdaerin]

17. Nope, not necessarily true, if she had backed up her "inevitability" with the voters, maybe

[goldcanyonaz]

2. And Obama is supposedly broke too. Neither Clinton or Obama are broke.

Now, Edwards on the other hand...

[K Gardner]

3. This was voiced throughout the day in the media. Big donors are pulling their contributions

and rethinking if they have "backed the wrong horse". By contrast, it is reported that both Obama and Edwards campaigns have had record contributions pouring in since Iowa.

[Renew Deal]

5. Trippi says $20 Million a month

Starting which month? I wonder what Hillary has put in NH? When you start losing, money goes out faster than it comes in.

[rdm]

4. An interesting thought....

If my campaign was out of money (and I started with more than anyone else!), and I was trailing in the latest polls, I would be crying too!! (Not in public, though! That wont win her any votes at all.) Have Bill give a couple of graduation or corporate speeches and that should bolster the ol' checkbook!

[fadedrose]

6. Wish I could remember the source,

Somewhere in cable news land, somebody said that Hill wasn't very popular with the big donors, but people felt they owed it to support her initially as a favor to Bill. After their initial financial donation, if she didn't go on to win some primaries, they were off the hook and could support who they really wanted.

Sorry, don't know who said it, but it makes sense as to why Hillary was really crying.

[fadedrose]

7. Wish I could remember the source,

Somewhere in cable news land, somebody said that Hill wasn't very popular with the big donors, but people felt they owed it to support her initially as a favor to Bill. After their initial financial donation, if she didn't go on to win some primaries, they were off the hook and could support who they really wanted.

Sorry, don't know who said it, but it makes sense as to why Hillary was really crying.

[DaLittle Kitty]

9. K&^R Great Post!

:)

[Joe the Revelator]

10. Very interesting....

[no name no slogan]

11. I think everybody's got enough $$$ on hand to make Super Tuesday

but then after that, it won't matter a whole lot anymore

[Adelante]

12. Time

Along with a change of her political fortunes as the result of her devastating loss in Iowa and dropping poll numbers in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton's once-flush presidential campaign now faces a problem that few would have expected at this point: a sudden urgency to raise a lot of money fast.

With momentum against her and a battle plan that appears to be staking everything on the big and expensive states like New York and California that hold their primaries on February 5, Clinton's campaign is putting new pressure on its fundraisers to come up with the cash she will need to carry her through. "Clearly, by every measure, I hear they are in a real financial crunch," says one prominent fundraiser. "Here's the dilemma: You have a situation where there clearly is a full court press to raise more money, but considering the state of decline of the campaign, there's a real question of whether people are going to want to give. It's more than just raising money; you've got to give people a sense of potential."

One reason for the new drive to raise cash quickly is the fact that Clinton spent lavishly on what turned out to be a debacle in Iowa. Numbers circulating among fundraisers — but not confirmed by the campaign — suggest that the campaign may have as little as $15 million to $25 million left on hand. While that is enormous by historic standards, it is less than half the nearly $50.5 million she had at the end of September (when she enjoyed a significant advantage over Barack Obama's $36 million on hand).

What's more, campaign officials believe that Obama's Iowa victory has almost certainly been accompanied by a financial windfall for his campaign, particularly over the Internet, where he has had a far stronger operation than Clinton has. The Obama campaign declined to provide any figures, with spokesman Bill Burton saying only: "There's a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and it's continuing to increase."

Clinton fundraisers say there is also a new emphasis in the appeals they are getting from the campaign. Where they previously focused on bringing in $4,600 donations — pressing donors to "max out" by giving the legal limit of $2,300 for the primary election and $2,300 for the general — they are now being asked to drum up $2,300 contributions. "They started out running a general election campaign," says one. "Now there's a real fixation on the primary." The day after the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, the campaign staged a "callathon" to encourage smaller contributions.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1701153,00.html

[David Zephyr]

13. If it is, the blame goes to these 3 creepy men: Mark Penn, Terry McAuliff & James Carville

Especially Mark Penn & Terry McAuliff.

They don't spend money, they waste it. Ask Al Gore. Ask John Kerry. Ask all of candidates in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

[Renew Deal]

15. Sounds like Carville is coming back for real

:puke:

[spooky3]

14. I dislike reading statements like this.

Keep your mind on your own business, Joe.

I am saying this as an Edwards supporter. I want you to focus on getting more contributions for JRE, not speculating about someone else's finances. It helps no one.

[AshevilleGuy]

16. I agree, spooky3

Sorry, didn't mean to rhyme that. I wish the Edwards camp would STOP knocking Hillary around; it's been going on since Iowa and it isn't attractive. Hillary is the only other candidate who can get the nomination and WIN in November. Edwards is allying with the wrong one.

[fujiyama]

18. She'll be OK up until Feb 5th

She'll be burning money like craaaazy through then though.

Bill is one of her only hopes in raising money and even he's not as big of an attraction as he once was.

[Horse with no Name]

19. Not sure I believe this because broke is a relative term

Some people are "broke" when they have to dip into their savings accounts.
Some people are "broke" when they have to dip into the piggy bank.
Some people are "broke" when they are down to their last million.

It's hard to know where the Clinton threshold is.:shrug: