Obama's costly primary
By Kevin Holtsberry Posted in 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Archived | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
This New York Daily News column on the high price of Hillary's losing run for the Democratic nomination received a lot of linkage and commentary yesterday. And understandably so. Many folks, myself included, are enjoying the end of the Clinton era.
Celeste Katz points out that all that Clinton money and name recognition went for naught:
Eighteen million votes: $212 million. Some 1,926 delegates: $109,823 a pop. Blowing the biggest head start in presidential history: priceless.
From anointed to also-ran, Hillary Clinton spent more money to lose a primary election than any candidate in Democratic Party history.
But what goes unstated is just how close a thing it was.
If I am doing the math right (based on this source), Obama spent $225,522,360 during the primary to get 2,158 delegates. That comes out to $104,505 per delegate or $5,318 less that Hillary. So yes, Obama spent his money better than Hillary but not by a great deal.
And if not for a few bad breaks like Florida and Michigan Hillary's campaign looks a lot different and the outcome is by no means the same.
Yes, Hillary spent the most anyone has to lose, but Obama spent more than anyone ever has to win as well. He spent more on advertising than anyone and yet was losing regularly right up until he won the nomination. Without the help of the superdelegates Obama doesn't get over the top.
What does it say about Obama that with more money than god he couldn't put away one of the most polarized and vilified figures in political history with practically everyone in the Democratic leadership and in the media clearly pulling for him? He was losing more than he was winning for the entire later half of the primary and got slaughtered in places like West Virginia, Kentucky, and Puerto Rico. He couldn't win key swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Despite the fact that he was all but guaranteed the nomination, he couldn't win South Dakota.
Obama managed to eke out a victory against Hillary but he didn't do it in anything like overwhelming fashion and he spent a great deal of money to do it.
What does it say about Obama that with more money than god he couldn't put away one of the most polarized and vilified figures in political history with practically everyone in the Democratic leadership and in the media clearly pulling for him?
Never mind what it says about Obama. Look at what it says about the media: not even rank-and-file Democrats believe them anymore. The media did everything they could to sell Obama to the voters. They even had chills running up and down their legs while doing it. But it didn't work. Once the shiny newness wore off, Obama couldn't buy a break.
Let's keep this in mind as we watch the I-got-a-crush-on-Obama reporters slant everything in favor of the guy they want to see win. Voters — not even Democrat voters — are buying it.
Drink Good Coffee. You can sleep when you're dead.