Okay kids, this hurts to admit, but - yes - I am confused.
Barack Obama has been called a flip flopper for taking public financing in the general election. I understand that he is not, I have read what was written in the questionairre he answered, but as far as the specifics, it's still a bit blurry.
The confusion is coming not from what Obama and Grandpa were fighting over, but rather the specifics over which they were dueling.
I'm coming to you all because I'm having a helluva time finding a decent resource for these basic answers rather than "reporting" on who said what, and all of that gossipy crap that passes as news. The "media" likes us to be involved in the catfights, but doesn't want to educate us. Jesus god, no! Don't educate them! They might LEARN THINGS!!!
So please be kind, if you can, and help me to understand the specifics of campaign financing - limits? deadlines? what exactly defines public? spending before/after conventions? spending in the general differentiating from spending in the primaries? bundling limits???
My parents reminisce about something called Civics classes...Maybe this is where I was supposed to learn things like this? (Or maybe it's because I've taken a break from college for a couple of years, and I'll be a bit brighter in the Fall...?)
Full Version: Public Fianancing Broke Me Down
QUOTE (compassionista-iv @ Jul 2 2008, 07:55 AM) 
Okay kids, this hurts to admit, but - yes - I am confused.
Barack Obama has been called a flip flopper for taking public financing in the general election. I understand that he is not, I have read what was written in the questionairre he answered, but as far as the specifics, it's still a bit blurry.
The confusion is coming not from what Obama and Grandpa were fighting over, but rather the specifics over which they were dueling.
I'm coming to you all because I'm having a helluva time finding a decent resource for these basic answers rather than "reporting" on who said what, and all of that gossipy crap that passes as news. The "media" likes us to be involved in the catfights, but doesn't want to educate us. Jesus god, no! Don't educate them! They might LEARN THINGS!!!
So please be kind, if you can, and help me to understand the specifics of campaign financing - limits? deadlines? what exactly defines public? spending before/after conventions? spending in the general differentiating from spending in the primaries? bundling limits???
My parents reminisce about something called Civics classes...Maybe this is where I was supposed to learn things like this? (Or maybe it's because I've taken a break from college for a couple of years, and I'll be a bit brighter in the Fall...?)
Barack Obama has been called a flip flopper for taking public financing in the general election. I understand that he is not, I have read what was written in the questionairre he answered, but as far as the specifics, it's still a bit blurry.
The confusion is coming not from what Obama and Grandpa were fighting over, but rather the specifics over which they were dueling.
I'm coming to you all because I'm having a helluva time finding a decent resource for these basic answers rather than "reporting" on who said what, and all of that gossipy crap that passes as news. The "media" likes us to be involved in the catfights, but doesn't want to educate us. Jesus god, no! Don't educate them! They might LEARN THINGS!!!
So please be kind, if you can, and help me to understand the specifics of campaign financing - limits? deadlines? what exactly defines public? spending before/after conventions? spending in the general differentiating from spending in the primaries? bundling limits???
My parents reminisce about something called Civics classes...Maybe this is where I was supposed to learn things like this? (Or maybe it's because I've taken a break from college for a couple of years, and I'll be a bit brighter in the Fall...?)
Hi Cindy, I don't know a lot of this either, but the FEC will have some info:
http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/pubfund.shtml
Personally, I concluded he did waffle on this (I don't use the F-word). He has some room to waffle given his opponent. Just counter this with: So who did you vote for who didn't ever change their mind on something?
I mean, that he waffled did damage his brand and there's no getting around it for me. It dampened my enthusiasm greatly, but most republicans don't harp on this too much because they usually respect the pragmatism behind this move. I think that conceding these things during a debate would be Obama-like in terms of candor and self possession.
Obama is called a flip-flopper only by candidates who have lost their appeal to their constituencies. McCain could do exactly the same thing as Barack, but can't because his base is unwilling to *personally* support his campaign. And evidently, he isn't going to get $87M from his corporate and lobbyist backers, so signing up for the "public" financing (limited to $87M) is his best option.
Barach Obama has *real* public financing, and if everyone played by his rules, we'd have all of the reform we'd ever want or need. The problem is, no one figured it could be done, so now Republicans are forced to whine and cry about a "promise" that was never made.
Sure feels good seeing Republicans whining... Perhaps if they had more public appeal, it wouldn't be so bad for them.
Barach Obama has *real* public financing, and if everyone played by his rules, we'd have all of the reform we'd ever want or need. The problem is, no one figured it could be done, so now Republicans are forced to whine and cry about a "promise" that was never made.
Sure feels good seeing Republicans whining... Perhaps if they had more public appeal, it wouldn't be so bad for them.
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