Edwards' 2Q fundraising goal?

Posted: Thursday, June 21, 2007 3:28 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Democrats

From NBC's Mark Murray

This morning, Edwards adviser Joe Trippi sent out this email fundraising solicitation: "This is it -- with 10 days left in the second quarter, we're about two-thirds of the way towards our goal of raising $9 million -- double what we raised at this time in the 2004 race."

Our immediate reaction: $9 million? With Clinton and Obama once again poised to raise well over $20 million for the quarter, will a $9 million keep Edwards within striking distance of the two other Democratic front-runners? (Edwards raised more than $14 million in the first fundraising quarter.)

An Edwards campaign source tells First Read that the more important goal in that Trippi email is the $40 million the campaign hopes to raise before the Iowa caucuses, more than double what Edwards raised before the 2004 caucuses. If the campaign raises that $40 amount, it believes it will have more than enough to compete in the first four nominating contests (Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina). "We're not running the types of campaigns that Barack and Hillary are running," the source says. "They are celebrities."

As part of another effort to bolster its fundraising haul, the Edwards campaign unveiled a new text-messaging fundraising initiative that will allow supporters to receive a voicemail message from Edwards urging them to make a contribution to the campaign.

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Comments

mmm guess I will go over to Edwards web site and make a contribution.

H P Boston (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 3:35 PM)

This just proves that first read, msnbc, and most other national news folks don't look at what Edwards has to offer you look at how much money he can raise. Since when is $9 million such a small amount? The media, especially first read has been anti Edwards since his campaign began. It is very simple. Edwards can win the general election and the big money raisers can't.

David, Chattanooga, Tn (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 3:48 PM)

Good for you, HP ... Here's a great candidate. Good issues, good views. But, the big issue is: How much money can he raise ?? What's wrong with this picture ??

Sierra, San Francisco (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 3:49 PM)

HP...first you will need to present yourself at an emergency room for a splinter in your cleft and then file a specious, abuse of process lawsuit under the guidance of the Eel Edwards because your band-aid was applied at a slightly inclined angle. You know, character, integrity, ethics, morality...all those horrible traits totally unknown by Edwards, and apparently by you as well.

Say No To Slime, Carolina Dreamin' (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 3:53 PM)

It depends on the spend plan, too. Clinton strikes me as someone who would have a lot of high-priced structure while, while Obama and Edwards probably would be equally comfortable with pared down campaigns that carry lower overhead. Would be interesting to see what each is planning to run on TV ads. If Edwards can execute his gameplan and win Iowa, he'll get a lot of free media going into the following early primaries.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 3:57 PM)

It is really irritating that some people think that every attorney who handles medical malpractice or products liability cases lacks integrity or ethics. Guess what? They make you take an ethics exam before you even get to sit for the bar exam, and you are required to attend continuing education courses on ethical issues every year. You are bound by a pretty comprehensive set of rules.

Aside from which, the majority of those types of cases are not frivolous. And let's also remember that the reason these attorneys get big money awards is because JURIES award them. If it was all such a crock, they'd get nothing.

Sick of Ignorant Lawyer Bashing (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:04 PM)

SLIME....You just talked me into uping my contribution...just a band-aid!

I say yes to Slime.
I will have no Slime before it's time.
Slip sliding in Slime!

H P Boston (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:06 PM)

If Bloomberg wants to do some good with his billions, he should come up with a legal way to funnel a few mil to the Edwards campaign. Something like donating maybe a quarter bil to the Katrina fund because he was inspired by Edwards speeches. How about it Bloomberg? I mean since you're not running for pres.

JIrby, Colorado (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:24 PM)

Please, can we talk about the issues, instead of the money?? Enough, already. First Read, please!! Stop feeding the money machine, put the focus on the issues where it belongs.

Jael, Downstate Illinois (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:26 PM)

Sick of lawyer bashing - Who gives the ethics exam? Karl Rove? That's a yuk, Sick. Oh, by the way, Sick, do you plan to see the new movie Sicko? I understand it's even better than f9/11, but not as good as An Inconvenient Truth. How sick are you of lawyer bashing, Sick? Sick enough to get a job flipping burgers in a state mental hospital? You may like an honest gig like that a lot better, since you seem to be a really decent sort. Along with being more in conformity with the Peter Principle and all that sort of rot.

JIrby, Colorado (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:37 PM)

Slime I hope you never meet a bad doctor and need a good attorney.

H P Boston (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:37 PM)

"Slip, slidin' away....slip slidin away...."--Paul Simon

Dorothy (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:39 PM)

John Edwards is b.s'ing on his 2nd quarter numbers. No way he comes in less than $14M.

Jeremiah (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:41 PM)

you know reading these blogs today makes me recall a very profound and deep post that Mr. Mark Thieme made a few days ago when I was whining about how the government had turned it's back on the american people on the immigration issue, I wish I had it so I could paste it here, basically the entire election process is a farce that gives the average joe the illusion of somehow being relevant in our society because we have the almighty power of the vote, but if you look at any of the candidates which we are forced to choose from come election day you will find they are the same, an honest decent human that actually cared about the common good would never be allowed to be president of the united states of america, it's all about the money, looking back I kind of wish I would not have read Mr. Thieme's post because now I realize just how insignificant we all are in this country

MK,MO (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:50 PM)

A trial lawyer is like a tennis racket. You don't always need one, but when you do nothing else will work.

Scott in South Texas (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:57 PM)

MK, MO
National PBS Station for political debate. Cut the media right out of the deal. No one trust them anymore anyway, and they seem to think as long as they're disappointing everyone they must be doing their jobs. I dread seeing The News Hour on PBS changing hands.

Dave, Tn (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 5:26 PM)

Thanks SLIME for reminding me why I need to vote with my money for Edwards. I'll do it tonight.

Russell in Maryland (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 5:36 PM)

Everyone reading this post of mine understand one thing:

When the media keeps reporting about money, the only reason they are interested in is "GREED," because they are the ones who will be GETTING MOST OF THAT MONEY when people pay them to run ads.

The public should RESENT the very talk of how much money candidates raise, and not make a decision which candidate to support based on it.

Fact remains, John Edwards hasn't even tried to raise money this quarter, based on the "FEW" fundraisers that he held. The only ones he did were the "Small change for big change" things that were only $15 per person. You don't expect to raise much money if you do that.

John Edwards will be fine. And he's still the strongest Democrat for the general election, as recent poll after poll with him matched up against Republicans has shown.

ST (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:18 PM)

HP and Russie, Slick Eddy will certainly appreciate your combined contribution of 29 cents...what most of his clients receive after he has bled them dry following payment of his egregious fees. As well, HP, hope you never need a superior physician after being sodomized by an ambulance chasing attorney. Dorothy is more on target than are all the rest of us...Slick "Fast" Eddy is, indeed, slip-sliding away.

SNTS, CD (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:22 PM)

Edwards' firm stance on poverty and inequality is exactly why I support his presidency
campaign. The poverty in America alone is astounding, but when viewed in a global perspective, something really needs to be done. Our leaders need to support the UN Millennium Development Goals to end poverty. Imagine how different the world would be. On the Borgen Project Website, it states that it costs $19 billion annually to relieve starvation and malnutrition, which is peanuts considering our $522 billion military budget this year.

ellec, seattle (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 7:21 PM)

When it come's to finger pointing, look at your own HAND..""There are three finger's pointing at you.. ""Now don't you feel like a fool""???? Democrat's always have that ""One "" pointing finger!!!!! ""Never the other three""" Shame those Idoit's can't count to """Four"""

Straight up,AZ (Sent Thursday, June 21, 2007 10:16 PM)

There really is two america's. John Edwards raising money from people to pay for his election and Bloomberg using his own money to run for president, that is the 2 america's I see in this.

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Friday, June 22, 2007 1:00 AM)

Seems like I'm the minority here, because I'm interested in who is raising how much. I'm a political spectator - I have the same interest I do watching teams in a sports season. To use a football analogy, we're kind of coming out of camp and into a little scrimmaging - not quite full-blown pre-season games yet. Money is the equivalent of teams signing new players - its who will have what resources to compete. Maybe I'm just more cynical than the rest here, but I really don't think issues matter much. Its not like they often will follow through in office on the things they talk about during the campaign. Some of that is because the system won't let them. Its a bureaucracy in which the president much of the time has far less power than we pretend. The better cause would be to make that bureaucracy more efficient, but I've pretty much given up on that one, too.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Friday, June 22, 2007 8:53 AM)

JIrby - Given that I actually AM a lawyer, I have taken the ethics exam and I can assure you there is nothing Rovian about it.

When it comes down to it, attorneys are just like people in any other profession. There are some excellent ones and some horrible ones but most fall into the average category. Also as with any profession, there are people who abuse the privilege of practicing law, and break the rules. This is true whether we are talking about lawyers or those who flip burgers. There are dishonest and corrupt people in every occupation.

I hope that everyone who bashes lawyers is not so hypocritical as to call one when help is needed.

Still Sick (Sent Friday, June 22, 2007 9:30 AM)

Still Sick,

Are you one of those lawyers that Edwards destroyed? You know, the ones who were representing the swimming pool drain company that refused to put a 20 cent screw on their drains, which would have prevented the drain from sucking the intestines out of the little girl whose family John Edwards represented?

Were you one of those lawyers on the other side that he beat?

Here's the thing people need to undersand:

JOHN EDWARDS WENT UP AGAINST OTHER LAWYERS AND BEAT THEM.

John Edwards represented the victims. There were lawyers on the other side who were representing the corporations and the person/institution that caused the damage.

Were you one of those CORPORATE LAWYERS that John Edwards destroyed in courtrooms? Are you of that ilk? Are you angry because the juries agreed with Edwards instead of you?

You are a lawyer...so what? There are different types of lawyers. John Edwards represented the injured party. Who do you represent? The well-financed interests?

ST (Sent Friday, June 22, 2007 2:11 PM)

I think lawyers are terrible writers. Look at the U.S. Constitution - 200 years after lawyers wrote it, we're still scratching our heads trying to figure out what some of it means.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Friday, June 22, 2007 2:26 PM)

ST, you have misjudged Still Sick. He came onto this site yesterday to defend Edwards against lawyer bashing. Your indignation should be directed at that Say No to Slime bozo.

Scott in South Texas (Sent Friday, June 22, 2007 2:30 PM)

Um, ST? Why not try reading the whole thread before blasting me. If you did, you would notice that I had been DEFENDING Edwards and what he did. I'll be taking that apology anytime now.

Still Sick, Also Insulted by Ignorance (Sent Friday, June 22, 2007 3:34 PM)

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