Reader Pat left a comment this morning on my Dose of Reality entry, with some questions. Some of them may have been rhetorical, but I'll try to answer if I can.
So, do you think Obama will choose Edwards as his running mate?
Is that why he endorsed him?
Why are the Clintons so far in debt for the campaign and Obama is not?
Where did he get all that money for a Harvard education?
Where is he getting so much money for the campaign?
You raised a lot of questions that were very interesting. Just asking!
No, I don't think that Obama will choose Edwards as his running mate. While that is merely my opinion, I base it on several factors I've gleaned from reading: Edwards has said that he's done, and I believe he will stay home with Elizabeth; I think Obama will choose a running mate who is a little more conservative than Edwards; there might be some stigma of having Edwards in the second spot (last time didn't turn out too well); I think Obama will choose someone from more of a swing state--North Carolina, Edwards' home state, is solidly in the Obama camp, and I can see him choosing someone like Webb of Virginia (a Viet Nam veteran) to appeal to crossover voters. So why did Edwards endorse him? I read a while back that Edwards wanted to see who would most enthusiastically get behind his efforts to eliminate poverty in the U.S. Apparently Obama must have given him the strongest commitment. (This is pure speculation on my part.)
Why are the Clintons in debt and Obama is not? Where is all of Obama's campaign money coming from? Ken answered this briefly in his comment after Pat's. The Obama Internet presence is unbelievable, and they have mobilized volunteers and donors in a way I don't think anyone has ever seen before. Obama's average contribution is $96. The limit is $2300, so his smaller donors can give again and again. The Clinton campaign relied on old-money, big-time donors--once they reached the limit, that was that. Obama can keep going back to his small donors.
Where did he get the money for a Harvard education? I had to do a little digging on that one, Pat. Obama graduation from Columbia with a degree in Political Science, then went on to get his law degree from Harvard. According to an ABC News report from 4-28-08, he was able to do this with scholarships and student loans. Considering that he graduated from Harvard magna cum laude, I'd say that he probably did okay in getting scholarships!
I hope that answers things a bit!
1 comment:
It's me again! Thanks for taking time to answer
my questions. I sincerely hope that the bulk of
campaign money is coming from the grass-roots
sector and not from special interests (on either
side) as I feel big contributors unduly influence
politics in our land, unfortunately. I am deeply
conerned about the importance of this election,
more so than I have ever been in my lifetime
of voting. I pray that it goes the way that will
bless our country. Let's keep informed. Pat
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