Non-Presidential 1Q Fundraising Thread

24 thoughts on “Non-Presidential 1Q Fundraising Thread”

1. …the source documents so we can see WHO is contributing that money?

2. Franken’s numbers make me wonder whether or not there’s going to be as big a primary as has been speculated. I’m aware of the number of important Minnesota Democrats who are interested in this race, but do they really want to go against the type of war-chest Franken will inevitably bring?

3. Are there any rumors swirling around MN about any other possible Dem candidates?  Any prominent state legislators that could jump in?  Earlier in the cycle (lol, okay, it’s still extremely early), I remember that lots of names were being thrown around as definite possibilities, so I’m a little surprised that Franken and Ciresi are the only ones in the mix.

4. I really do like Franken, but definitely understand the hesitancy that is expressed by many that if he were to be the eventual nominee, we might not have as strong a shot at recapturing this seat – although, I do think he would still make a race out of it.

   I’m pretty sure McCollum and Rybak have said no (although, didn’t we all kinda think the same about DeFazio?), but what about Mayor Coleman in St. Paul, Mee Moua, Becky Lourey, or Tarryl Clark?  Are any of these people still possibilities, or have they all publicly declined?

   Is there a possibility of a draft movement forming in Minnesota?  I’m not too familiar w/ MN politics, but just curious if there is a (semi?)-consensus candidate that many Dems in the state are hoping to jump in and might lead them to form a movement expressing so?  Maybe even trying to persuade McCollum or Rybak to reconsider?

5. It is very useful to know something about the endorsement/nominating process within the DFL in Minnesota.

   Both Franken and Ciresi have agreed to abide by the decision of the State Convention in either late May or early June of 2008.  The Convention is made up of about 1400 delegates selected from either County Unit Conventions or Legislative Conventions held in April, and the delegates to these are selected at Precinct Caucuses in early March.  Thus the whole key to winning the DFL Party Endorsement at State Convention is to organize your supporters well, and get them to the Precinct Caucus to elect delegates supportive of your candidacy.  Then you have the organization to maximize your delegates at Leg District or County Unit — and then you have a Convention Strategy.  So while it is nice to have some money in the bank — Franken’s success will depend on organization.  And organization is about getting the right mix of professional organizers (paid) and volunteers.  Remember, there are over 4000 Precincts that need hands on person to person organization.  One huge advantage Franken has — many of the people from the Wellstone Organization are behind Franken’s effort.  Ironically, Franken raised in this half quarter a little more than that whole Wellstone Campaign cost us in 1990.  Franken also has the tacit support of Walter Mondale — from the old Humphrey based part of the DFL.  So what to watch for — Endorsements.  Organized Labor, Teachers, Nurses, Environmentalists, Civil Libertarians and Civil Rights organizations — they all screen pre-precinct caucus, and if they endorse, they get their members to Precinct Caucus to support their preferred candidates and the value of their endorsement.  Screening will probably be in the fall of 2007 or early winter.  If you want to imagine a stand-up comic scene with one of Al’s characters, just imagine Stuart Smaley appearing for screening before the Plumber’s Union.  (and yes — this ia part of our process here in Minnesota’s DFL.)  The endorsement and a promise to get members out to caucus is far more valuable in our system than a big check, at least at point in the process.  Once the endorsement is complete in June, 2008, then the big dollars will be necessary for advertising.  But the Plumbers still have to phone bank and do GOTV.  We don’t advertise much at all before we get an endorsement. 

   I fail to understand the argument that a Professional Stand Up Comic does not have control of his material — and some how will just drop character, and start shouting Macaca or something like that.  Not only was Franken good enough for a long run in prime time in the MSM — he also wrote much of the material himself.  He is a son of Harvard, St. Louis Park, and Dudley Riggs Cafe Comedy Theatre.  And never forget that the idea that Franken should move home and run for Paul Wellstone’s seat in the Senate was Molly Ivins idea, first voiced at a Wellstone Action board meeting, about a year after that awful plane crash.  And Mondale (also on the board) discussed it in December, 2005 at the Carter Center in a joint appearance with Jimmy Carter. 

   Back in Fall, 1990, when the DSCC basicly shut Paul out of all the liberal or progressive money (see Professor Wellstone Goes to Washington, Duane Smith and Dennis McGrath, U of MN Press 1995), it was Al Franken who “came home” and did shows that kept Paul’s campaign in basic cash till our numbers showed we were about to catch Boschwitz a few weeks before the election.  Only then did the DC money start to flow.  Those of us who worked Paul’s campaign will never forget what Franken put on the table to make that progressive win a reality. 

   I hope all this pulls folk into understanding something of our particular and somewhat peculiar political culture here in the North Star State. For instance, Why are we Democratic Farmer-Laborites, instead of just Democrats?  Well it dates back to a meeting between FDR and a very young Hubert Humphrey in early 1944.  We then had three parties, with the Democrats being the smallest of the three. Hubert was unique in having feet in both the D’s and the FL’ers.  FDR figured in the 44 election he would need Minnesota’s electorial vote, so he asked Hubert to try and merge the two parties so as to have one slate of electors –Farmer-Laborites and Democrats.  He was successful.  FDR wanted to formally pull in the LaFollette Progressives, the Farmer-Laborites and the North Dakota Non-Partisian Leaguers as an off-set to the racist South in the Democratic Party — so part of what we are is FDR’s first stage in moving in that direction. 

6. is still considering a run against Landrieu.  Not much news about the race, and Mary Landrieu is now promising to fight FEMA over alternative housing money, as Mississippi will receive the lion’s share of the funds.  Her press has been favorable, and even Republicans are admitting she is a great Senator.  And Jindal and Vitter have been lying to the press.  Vitter even warned Breaux that he is evidence that the state has changed over the past twenty years.  But Vitter forgets 18,000 votes out of 1.8 million cast helped him avoid a runoff in 2004.  This is not the mandate he believes it is when one considers Bush’s 57% performance in 2004.  We called their bluff, and now they are in a state of panic.

7. Setting aside that CQ reports that he has drawn an early opponent, Klein’s spokeman told CQ today that “Klein raised about $600,000 through the end of March and banked more than $500,000 as April began.”  http://www.cqpolitic…

   These seem like might fine numbers for 1Q. 

8. If you do the math on how much of Katrina Swett’s money is for the general – therefore presumably coming from people who maxed out for the primary – it looks likely that half her primary money comes from people who are maxed out.  So she’s going to have to broaden her donor base if she’s going to keep raising like that.

   Meanwhile, Marchand was really only raising in earnest for 6 weeks.

9. It says here that he as raised about $300,000 so far.  I don’t know if that is enough to scare off top tier challengers.  http://www.post-gaze…

   1. However, Joe Atkins, a State Rep who made a run at Majority Leader before this session, is going to make a decision about jumping in after the legislation session gets over.  But the money barrier is a high one – he would have to work doubly hard to overcome the challenge of facing Franken AND Ciresi’s warchests.

10. A paragraph from the Baldwin City Signal:

    Rep. Nancy Boyda (D)

    (AP) Ryun raises $275,000 in bid for former seat: Former Kansas GOP Rep. Jim Ryun has raised $275,000 this year in his quest to regain the seat he lost to Democrat Nancy Boyda, but he may have to spend a large chunk of it fending off other Republicans in the primary. “I’m really humbled by the contributions to the campaign,” Ryun said Wednesday. “They show that there’s great support from the district.” Though official fundraising numbers won’t be released to the Federal Election Commission until later this week, Ryun said he is eager to show the “broad support” his campaign has received. He plans to report $255,000 cash on hand for the race. The cash will help fuel what is shaping up as a contentious primary fight with State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, a Topeka Republican who last week filed to run for the 2nd District seat. “We’re very curious to see what percent of his donations came from Kansas,” Jenkins spokesman Jeff Wagaman said. “It’s our understanding he’s been raising money in Washington quite a bit.” Boyda is expected to report raising $137,000 during the same three-month period and $171,300 in the bank once her final figures are tallied, spokeswoman Shanan Guinn said.

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