Edwards Donors Prefer Obama To Clinton

CQ:

John Edwards ' former donors broke toward Barack Obama by a 2-to-1 margin over Hillary Rodham Clinton in February, the first full month after Edwards dropped out of the Democratic presidential nomination fight.

The analysis by CQ MoneyLine identified 287 former Edwards contributors who donated to Obama for the first time during his record-breaking $56 million month. Collectively, though, the former Edwards donors amounted to a small fraction of Obama's haul, sending in $200,000. In comparison, Clinton banked $114,000 from 138 Edwards donors who had not given to her in past months as she piled up a personal-best $35 million in February.

"I looked at both the candidates and basically the reason I chose to shift allegiance over to Obama was how I perceived his message of hope," said San Diego lawyer Blake Muir Harper.

Read the whole story: CQ

Comments

[midwestvoter]

I was one of those Edwards supporters who now enthusiastically support Obama. I am disgusted with Senator Edwards' refusal to weigh in. Come on, John- this country that you love so much is in jeopardy of being handed to McBombIran! Get off the fence! Maybe this will help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9IldaegAB0 Obama is influencing our kids in a way that is truly amazing. We who have supported you are waiting for you to do the right thing. Show the leadership and courage we gave you credit for having.

[verlaine]

John Edwards is a fraud and a phony. He won't endorse Obama because he's jealous of his success.

[LaFilleEnRose]

The recent efforts by big donors -- with lots to lose if Hillary loses -- were willing to finance primaries, for states that went against the DNC rules, rules Senator Clinton signed on to -- shows exactly why the people have been trying to buy back government themselves through small donations and large noisy rallies for Obama. They are trying to throw off the yolk that has been slowly destroying the middle class. Incremental steps that don't ever really change anything is no longer what is needed or being demanded by huge numbers. If Obama wins the primary and wins in the general, we'll have the first President since perhaps Washington that the people owned -- having owned General Washington through years of blood and the suffering of everyone. What is going on today is a new revolution by the people, for the people. Equal representation for taxation! What a revolutionary idea. First government had to be revolutionized. Now corporate slavery has to be. How fitting that HBO has been running the John Adams mini-series.

So come on media journalists. You found the courage in New Orleans with Katrina to speak the truth. Shake off the yoke of corporate ownership and tell this story. What will it mean to have a president beholding only to the people?

[Seattlelite]

John Edwards is no longer significant in this race. Don't get me wrong I like and respect Edward's but the train has left the station and he missed it.

[kroses98]

I agree completely. The longer he waits to "anoint" someone, the more significance he loses! In fact, I believe now that he was a fraud from the start. If he can even consider endorsing Clinton, then he is not who I believed him to be when he was running. I had supported him at first, but stopped, after a closed circuit conference call last May. I could sense from that call an "insincerity," which I believe has now been validated for me. Obama is the "REAL" one!!!

[rojo7449]

I think this all makes perfect sense. Edwards campaigned on a very strong position against taking money from corporate PACs and lobbyists. He lived up to it and didn't take money from those organizations through the back door, either.

Clinton has always been upfront. She takes money directly from the PACs so the corporations don't have to do the manuevering and coverups to make sure the candidates get their money, know what industry it came from, and does what it is supposed to do.

Obama says he does what Edwards actually did, and says he doesn't do what Clinton does, but he does...he just makes them do the manuevering to make it look like personal contributions from people who just happen to have deep interests in particular industries.

The 1 out of 3 who went from Edwards to Clinton understand the game and aren't kidding themselves that they didn't move too far away from the beliefs of the candidate they originally supported.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

That is an out and out lie. Every person who donates to him, has to declare who their employer is. He has taken no money from PACS or lobbyists. Clinton supporters can't seem to understand he has more individual contributors than any other candidate!

[rojo7449]

You don't understand how corporate PACs work, then.

[JXB]

Edwards was a more progressive candidate than Obama, and Obama is a more progressive candidate than Clinton. Seems like simple math which remaining candidate should get the lion's share of Edwards' supporters.

[AnninCA]

I think Hillary's health care and economic plan is far more progressive than his is.

[utd]

Oh, really. Why don't you go ask your "Master and Commander" what industry's will benefit most from forcing every American to buy insurance. Then go take a peek at how much those industries are giving to her to do it. "I am doing this for the American people" -ya sure you are lady.

[classykaren]

That is the one thing that bothers me I think her health plan is better

[Seattlelite]

Yes, it "appears" HIllary's health care plan is better but the devil is in the details, if you understand what a mandate will mean it's not a better plan. It would take to long to explain all the problems with a mandate so I can only hope people will research and understand who benefits from a mandate and who will suffer. The insurance companies are certainly on board for a mandate it's to their benefit that every person in this country "HAS" to buy health care it's like winning a lottery for them. Sen. Obama's plan is to address the cost and drive down the price of heath care by making it available to those that don't have or can't afford it by providing a tax credit or subsidies to help people get insurance but still making insurance companies compete for your business.

[rwe]

This is why McCain is very much in the running.... The word Progressive is even more distatasteful to many than liberal... And we know Barack is the most liberal in congress

[dexxjones]

they really are starting to spin out of control as it becomes increasingly obvious that hillary will not be the nominee. i cant believe how angry people are getting. newsflash, people: this country belongs to ALL of us, not just one royal family. jeez.

[AnninCA]

Who is mad? We're just waiting on Penn.

[VOTER]

It must be tough having to hold your breath until then. LOL

The Polls are showing Obama making great progress in PA.

[verlaine]

BREAKING NEWS!!

John Edwards castrated by Hillary Clinton. Film at 11.

Edwards is a coward and sissy for staying neutral while the Clintons try their best to destroy the Democratic Party.

Edwards needs to grow a pair and endorse Obama already

[dexxjones]

wow. the clintonites are really starting to lose it.

[rojo7449]

Explain what you just said to the Obama supporter you responded to. What did her post have to do with Clinton?

[rojo7449]

Obama supporters don't use name calling because they have enough genuine substance to fall back on in support of their candidate.

[Alessan]

verlaine,

You don't know what you are talking about, I definately don't want Obama as President if you
are voting for him. WAKE UP

[brooklyncitizen]

Heed your advice.

[rojo7449]

Edwards doesn't have to endorse anyone at all. It's his right. If Obama was truly doing what Edwards did and was refusing the money from special interests and corporations, Edwards probably would have endorsed him at the time he withdrew. But, that's not the case and there is a list of contributions that included the oil and gas industry, and over $1M from the subprime lenders who caused this housing crisis. Obama is now putting out commercials that the Republicans will tear to pieces because he isn't representing himself honestly.

[TonyGarbanzo]

Speaking of Fundraising, this is from today's Chicago Sun-Times:

Is Hillary broke?

March 28, 2008Recommend (54)

BY MICHAEL SNEED Sun-Times Columnist
Scoop du jour? Sneed hears major money problems in the Clinton camp may soon become a coroner knocking on her campaign door.

• To wit: Word is the cash feeding into Hillary Clinton's campaign coffers has not only slowed down in a big way, undisclosed campaign debts that have yet to be made public could signal the end and have insiders biting their nails.

"Hillary needs to raise money to stay alive," a top Dem source said.
(AP file)


• Translation: "It won't necessarily be politics which may force her out of the race," said a top Dem source. "There is no hanky panky going on, but Hillary needs to raise money to stay alive . . . and word is she may not be able to climb out of the money hole."

• The buckshot: "I think it's safe to say Hillary's not going to dip into her pocket again," the source added. "And if her employees start taking pay cuts while chasing the dream . . . it's usually the beginning of the body becoming totally cold."

[LeftLeaner]

As an Edwards donor neither of these candidates havy truly carried on his Populist message and therefore and leaning towards Ralph Nader.

He's the only uncorrupted candidate running, and whose message addresses the needs of regular Americans.

[bmora]

Reaaaalllllly? How that happen? This is going to send analysts into tizy, crunching the numbers.

[Bobleblah1]

John Edwards has got to step up and endorse someone now.
I think his silence is making him look bad, which is the opposite of what he hoped to accomplish
by staying in the background. It makes him look cowardly, and overly opportunistic.
If Edwards endorses Obama, it will effectively end the race. If he endorses Clinton then it will make the fact that the race is still going on, seem to make some sense.

Either way, the time has come for him to show some level of leadership, and make his stance clear.
The longer he stays quiet, the more people will question his motivations.

[VOTER]

You bet.

I imagine him sulking which is not a pretty picture.

Where is Edwards, the man, the Leader?

[kellygrrrl]

sulking? I don't think so. I think he was offered a very powerful position (AG?) by BOTH Obama and Clinton. I think he's just of the mindset that he can do the most good in that position so he's waiting.

[LeftLeaner]

They both are Corporatist candidates which is the antithesis of Edwards' platform.

He was committed to the middle class and less fortunate, and the other two will follow the will of their donors.

He's not a hypocrite. In there lies the conflict.

[Alessan]

John Edwards doesn't have to do anything, Obama has enough support period.

[brooklyncitizen]

It is less about Obama "needing" his support and more about Edwards looking like an opportunistic political miser. IT is odd and draws comments...especially when the Edwards campaigners have primarily defected to Obama. Not to mention how harsh Edwards was with Hillary while they campaigned...he frankly looks like a hyppocrite.

[hillarysupporter]

no he doesn't. Why the desperate push ? I think Obama supporters are afraid something new
will "leak out"...... we don't know this guy, the only people anxious to put an end to this race are the
ones getting nervous about their boy.

[brooklyncitizen]

Projecting are you?

It certainly is clear that Hillary has the kind of supporters that she deserves: people that are divisive, manipulative, dishonest and lacking a sense of fair play and the greater good. ....and disrespectful "their boy"? was that really necessary?

[Tariqahmed]

who is blackmailing Edwards to endorse OBAMA. Hillary corruption at work.

OBAMA'08.

[kellygrrrl]

huh?