Obama Nearing 3 Million Donations, Raises $31 Million In April

ABC News reports:

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., hauled in $31.9 million in April (including $600,000 for the general election) to continue his battle for the Democratic nomination against Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, ABC news was first to report tonight. Obama out-raised Clinton -- who raised close to $22 million -- by almost $10 million.

Two hundred thousand new donors joined Obama's effort last month.

Obama has an mighty $37.3 million on hand with $9.2 million tucked away for the general election.

Here's the full breakdown via the Obama campaign:

By the numbers....

New donors in April: 200,000

94% of contributions were under $200

93% of contributions were $100 or less

77% of contributions were $50 or less

Story continues below

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52% of contributions were $25 or less

Number of donors to the Obama campaign overall at the end of April: 1.475 million

Number of contributions given: 2,929,000 million

Average donation: $91

Amount raised in April: $31.3 million (plus an additional $600,000 for the general election)

Cash on Hand: $37.3 million (plus an additional $9.2 million for the general election)

Comments

[IslandGyal]

And, who is best positioned to win the General election come November?

[Pema]

I think that's pretty obvious, the person with the most delegates.

[bygollymissmolly]

And the most money in the bank and 1.5 million people who donate monthly to their campaign. Now who would that be? It's certainly not Hillary Clinton.

[CocteausTwin]

I made my first political donation ever to Obama the day after the NC primary. It was but fifty dollars. I will continue to donate as the money free up in my own life. The only people Obama should be beholden to is the American people.

[obamagal]

"The only people Obama should be beholden to is the American people."

Yes, and therein lies one of the many reasons Barack has amassed such a groundswelling of support.

[KarateKid]

CT, I also did the same thing, and I had never even checked that little box on the tax return form before either. I gave a little more, but not much more and bought some stuff at their online store as well. Like most of Obama's contributors, we're not close to being maxed out, so Obama has a very deep well to still tap. McCain, on the other hand, has to use lobbyists and Bush himself to raise money. The new way is going to defeat the old way. And unlike Clinton, you don't see our guy begging for donations during victory speeches.

I have also gone out and registered new voters. This is an underrated aspect of Obama's success. I have not done that full time, but I have free summers and plan to do more. So far, I've signed up 258 new voters, who are all for Obama. Many who have never registered before don't realize how easy it is, and I've had no trouble. My goal is 1000 by September.

Each of us, in our own little way, has ownership in Obama Inc. And it does make the election more personal.

[Softnsweet]

True!

[Chad53916]

Fellow Obama Supporters:

People should ease back on Hillary. Granted, she ran an ugly campaign and I enjoyed this site for the pro-Obama news and comment, but some of these comments by pro-Obama people only serve to inflame the people that support Hillary. I think we'd stand to benefit from a stance more reminiscent of Barack's: Positive, cool, calm and collected. Reading the unfair Obama haters' comments on CNN inflamed me to the point of once saying that I would vote McCain over Hillary. Just what the Neocons wanted. Let's cool down and pull in the support of our fellow democrats who support Hillary. No one likes the "in-your-face" attitude of sore winners.

[CocteausTwin]

I will back off when she (and many of her vocal supporters) stop calling me sexist. When she stops trying to make up rules like she is the one being somehow cheated. When she stops purposefully dividing what is left of the Democratic party.

[wolfi101]

But if you don't support her, you must be a sexist. I mean, that's the only criteria for supporting any candidate, right?

[ I'm so tired of hearing that argument of sexism, too. ]

[dajay]

I will back off when OBama supporters stop calling me racist for supporting Hillary over OBama.

You are right about one thing. There is not much lef t of hthe Dem party, thanks to the Obama supporters and his campaign.

Remember, he needs our votes in November, not the other way around, and it isn't look promising that he is getting a large majority of them.

[dawlishgal]

I am constantly aware that what you say is true, and I try to abide by your sage advice. However, there are times when the sheer outrageousness of her behavior pushes me over my edge. Now she and her supporters (and inflamatory Republican goons like Tucker Carlson) are saying that Obama absolutely can't get the vote of 'working people' (we all know how Hillary changed the meaning of THAT phrase by conflating it with "white people"). They are saying that these (ahem....) "working people" still voted for Hillary even though THEY KNEW she was going to lose.

Yeah right, she comes to states with the lowest educational levels and makes gullibility into some kind of primitive (non-"elitist") bleeping virtue, then she tells them that IF they vote for HER (and give her their money ) she still has an excellent chance to win. Then she spins her victory as further evidence (not of the gullibility of her voters) but of Obama's problem with (...ahem) "working people." And the pundits go along with this crapola and barely mention her appeals to racism.

(Turns out that about the same percentage of "Democrats" as voted for Hillary in W. Va and KY also voted for Bush and previous Republicans, so these "working people" have histories ever since civil rights legislation of having voted for whomever pushes the "southern strategy" the hardest).

Sorry. I'll try to do better tomorrow.

[NoahVail]

Its awfully hard to be charitable to her after she has tried so hard to drag us all down into the mud. I wonder if she is going to "come clean" with how desperate she has become in trying to win the nomination. I wonder if Bill will actually campaign for Barack. In the end, if you cuddle a snake and it bites you, you cannot be mad at the snake- its in a snake's nature to bite you.

[obamajusrocks]

bingo ! you said it all dawlishgal

[NOLAMoCity]

Why is everyone afraid to admit that there a MANY Americans who are flat out racist and will not vote for a Black person. Period. The sheer absurdity of claiming that Senator Obama could have a problem with White voters astounds me. It is a statistical impossibility for him to be ahead relying solely on the votes of Blacks. The sensationalist media, Pat Buchanan specifically, enjoys far too much attempting to paint Obama as having a "problem" with White working Americans. Well, I guess we're to assume his victory will be due to the overwhelming support of unemployed Black folks.

[obamagal]

Well said. I agree.

[Scarllatti]

Yeah, but you do not have to treat stupidity with kid gloves. HRC and Bill Clinton has introduced a monster that will haunt the Democratic party for a long long time-- Race-baiting, Sexism, "Republicanization" and balkanization of the Democratic party. We need to get rid of her before more damage is done. Evil thrives when good men keep quiet. Enough of this nonsense. HRC is making this process about herself and not about the party and the nation. It is all about her ambition. It is only in American democracy that a husband and a wife will want to "rule" in tandem. The Clintons should just go away. America has given them all and it is time for them to return that favor.

[N8Ma]

“Anybody who has ever voted for me or voted for Barack has much more in common in terms of what we want to see happen in our country and in the world with the other than they do with John McCain…I’m going to work my heart out for whoever our nominee is. Obviously, I’m still hoping to be that nominee, but I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that anyone who supported me … understands what a grave error it would be not to vote for Sen. Obama.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton, May 14 2008:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/14/clinton/index.html

If she is willing to make this more explicit to her supporters, if she goes on and beats the drum for Obama, then yes I think we should let bygones be bygones and stop vilifying her. However if she doesn't do as she says above...do EVERYTHING she can to make sure a Democrat gets elected by going back to her supporters, to Emily's List, to all the women out there who identify with Geraldine Ferraro and Gloria Steinem and telling them that SHE'S voting for Barack Obama and they should follow her lead...the­n it's only fair to wish our old friends goodbye as they become Republicans.

[dajay]

You guys don't get it. Hillary supporters don't have to be nice.

[KarateKid]

The ones who would do that were not true Democrats anyway. Good riddance.

[bygollymissmolly]

Unfortunately what she says and what she does are two different things. She makes pretty speeches like that and yet she is still hammering on how Obama is not electable. She is also still lying to her supporters by telling them that she is ahead in the popular vote. Then she is also promoting her premise that MI and FL are somehow being treated unfairly. All this is designed to make her supporters feel that the nomination is being stolen from her, not that she lost it.

Hillary started this campaign with a 20% margin on all the candidates and 70% of the black vote. The election was hers to lose, and lose it she did. No one stole it from her, she lost fair and square. The only way she can win is by cheating. Is that what we want in a President? That's what we have had for 8 years, there is no way I would tolerate that happening again. If she somehow steals the nomination from Obama, there will be riots in the streets.

[jazmatician]

but but if they vote for Obama, she won't be able to run in 2012!

[Softnsweet]

I really have a problem with what you wrote. Obama supporters do not bother anyone. We have the right to state what we feel just like Hillary supporters can take out ads and come on and post nasty comments about Obama. Do me a favor? Go on a Hillary site and ask them to stop posting nasty comments about Obama or coming on here doing it and see how far it will get you.

I don't care if someone posts that they will not vote for Obama because of his supporters. They were not going to vote for Obama anyway so quit the crap. I don't want to read it.

[marc1antony]

nothing sexist in calling her a liar right? Hillary lied again... seems that ten million she claimed to have gotten in one day after PA was a fabrication - now that the FEC reports have been released, we see that she cannot be trusted to even be honest about her fundraising practices - remember Paul v Clinton in California.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/5/21/04953/3738/252/519453

this is why all the sexism dust up over the past few days - another distraction tactic.

[GunneraGirl]

No! You mean it wasn't true that she raised $10 million in one day? I'm soooooooooooo
surprised to find that out! ;)

[the964kid]

Obama continues to break all the records.

[deecee22]

..........­.....and Hillary continues to break all the rules
..........­......what an example for young women to follow.

[Ddorsey]

I am 16 years old, never worked on a campaign, but I payed for a trip to Texas to go campaign for Barack Obama. I have also donated about 75$ to the campaign (It's all I have)
All of these stories; this is why Barack Obama should be president.

[savory1]

Ddorsey, $75.00 is alot of money even for some adults. Good job!

[WoodyCPM]

Wow, and you're not even old enough to vote! Good job Ddorsey. Bless your heart.

[the964kid]

We're proud to see you getting involved so young. Thanks Ddorsey, and thanks Barack Obama for inspiring so many of us to make a change in 2008.

[Ddorsey]

Wow, thank you all for the support.
College essay is a great Idea, thank you guys.

[Chad53916]

Ddorsey,

Looking at you, there just may be hope for this country yet. Thank you! Barack has inspired me to donate to this cause as well, a first for me!

[GunneraGirl]

YOU are the reason I have HOPE!

Would you like an unsolicited suggestion? Set aside some time every day to write down your campaign experiences and thoughts. That diary could serve to work up a VERY nice college entrance essay, if you're thinking of heading in that direction.

[caywen]

Obama has more pledged delegates than Clinton will ever have this election.

If I were a superdelegate, that makes my job really easy.

[bish66]

If I were a superdelegate, looking at the results in Kentucky would make my job easy. Looking at the polls would make my job easy.

Sometimes you have to go for the candidate who has more potential, and that is Clinton, like it or not. If West Virginia and Kentucky and other rural parts of America are an indicator of how will win in November, the prospects of Obama are bleak, while Hillary shines. She won some of the eastern counties in Kentucky with up to 93%. Obama can only count on 30% of her voters to support him in Fall, same as McCain, the rest will stay at home. She on the other hand can count on more than half his voters, especially the black and liberal voters, who always go to the polls and vote democrat.

He has no chance to win outside the traditional blue states, she is ahead against McCain in Florida, Ohio, West Virginia and Arkansas. Without her, he loses, with her, he might win. Since his pride and arrogance forbids him to ask Clinton to be his running mate, he losese, McCain wins.

[DSully]

If I were a superdelegate, I would see a candidate who has lied (Bosnia), tricked (planted questioners in Iowa), pandered (phony gas tax break), and scared (PN ad) voters. Yet, she is still behind. She has lost more votes. Unless you do some pretty crazy math, she is pretty far behind in the poplular vote. The polls show Obama well above Clinton nationally and the polls show 60% of America doesn't trust Hillary. She has made herself unelectable and Obama does not heed her as VP.

[WoodyCPM]

You're making wild assumptions and drawing erroneous conclusions based on nothing other than your own partisanship. There is no direct correlation between winning a state's primary / caucus and winning that state in the general election. To assume that because either Clinton or Obama won a particular state in the primary, therefore he/she will carry that state in the general is a syllogism. It's bad logic. The voters have been responding to Clinton (the most well known brand name in the Democratic universe) vs. Obama (an upstart, young, untested Senator from Illinois. That's one set of choices to make. But a mash up between Obama vs. McCain or Clinton vs. McCain, and the voters are not going to vote the same way. Some of the people who voted for the Democrat are going to vote for McCain, and some of the people who didn't vote at all are going to vote for the Democrat. Nobody knows yet how people are going to vote in November. We haven't even had a general campaign. Nobody knows. The political pundits and soothsayers on TV are just filling up air time.

[ladyv]

The rest of the country doesn't want to live under the conditions the people in Appalachia live. Why in the world would we want to let Appalachia set the tone for the whole country, when we wouldn't trade places with them for anything?

[CocteausTwin]

You so silly!

[spqesq]

Have you ever been to the eastern counties of Kentucky? I have. It's a scary, scary place. These are the same people that think the world is flat and 6000 years old - seriously.

[Will753]

I think it is time to stop being nice and respectful of HRC. She aggreed to the rules prior to the primary elections. These rules for the primaries are the same as when she and Bill ran for office twice. For them to reject and skew this process is not only hypocracy, but dishonest. The hatred and dishonesty and division they are creating is appauling. If the women who are so devoted to her can't see the rule of law and presidents then they will never achieve anywhere near their goals. This woman lied about sniper's 3 times, sent men & women to their deaths without reading the intelligence report and her supporter's turned a blind eye. How pathetic!

[bish66]

"I think it is time to stop being nice and respectful of HRC." Where have you been lately? There is not one candidate out there who received more ugliness and disrespect and slander.

Look at the comments about here on Huffington for the last 3 months and you will see that the ones who are divising the party and the country support Obama.
She lied about the sniper fire, Obama lied about Wright, about not running for office in 2008, because he would be too inexperienced, about Rezko.

Yes, she supported the Iraq resolution that led to the war in Iraq and in her floor speech http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.htmll) she gave her reasons for doing so. She did not take that vote lightly. She was not the only senator to support the resolution, Edwards, Kerry, Biden, Dodd and Daschle did so, too. If Obama had been in the senate, he would have voted in favor of that resolution as well. Since he entered the Senate, he did nothing to end the war.

[CocteausTwin]

She has fought very hard to earn it (if that were even the case.)

[spqesq]

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you. And just because people call Hillary an angry, shallow narcissist doesn't mean she isn't. Sometimes if is walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...it'­s really just a duck.

[dawlishgal]

Don't forget that both Clintons campaigned on a platform of opposing NAFTA. As soon as they were inaugurated, they broke their promise to unions and labor, and she went out and flacked it and he pushed it through congress.

Don't forget that after big healthcare corporations spent millions on commercials that lied about and killed her ill-advised healthcare plan, she still took their lobbyists' dirty money for her senatorial campaigns and now for her presidential campaign.

And--above all--don't forget how the Clintons, in 2000 while he was still in office, ripped off party resources that ought to have gone to Al Gore for his campaign and used them for her senatorial campaign. They hit the usual big donors FIRST, they used the facilities in the White House for fund raisers...­.stuff like that. If you want to know more about this, read the article in the November '07 issue of "Vanity Fair."

[deecee22]

what has hillary done in the senate to end the war? oh yeh, she voted for more war. Iran

[biglover]

That is a huge assumption on your part that Obama would have voted yes on the resolution. Do you have some fn crystal ball?

[dajay]

I hope Hillary never supports Obama after the way she and her supporters were treated.

I hope a majority of the Hillary never vote for him or just do a write-inwith Hillary's name, like I will be doing.

That will be sending out a message.

[bygollymissmolly]

Poor little victim. More likely another right wing troll sent here to sow dissent.

[buckygreen]

I'm a 52 year old white male, downsized paper mill worker, savings gone due to medical bills, current graduate student, with about $20000 in student loans, making about $20000 per year at two part time jobs. I have so far donated over $600 to the Obama campaign, and intend to continue sending every spare dollar to him until November.

Its that important. We desperately need real change in this country, and the time is now.

Obama/Webb 08

[jafahr]

thank you! that's great. congratulations on continuing your education. what are you studying?

[dawlishgal]

My son is in pretty much your situation. He says that he is donating his stimulus tax refund to Obama, and wants us to do the same with ours.

[dajay]

Yep, I never met an Obama supporter who didn't like to brag about himself.

[bygollymissmolly]

And I never met a Hillary supporter who didn't whine about how unfairly Hillary has been treated.

[Waitaminute]

The superdelegates will support the candidate with the most campaign cash. Thats Obama. Because, he can give to their re-election campaigns. Hillary can't.

[bish66]

If that is the deciding argument, then they have to support Hillary, sorry...

"Cash on Hand: $37.3 million (plus an additional $9.2 million for the general election)"

The important part is "$9.2 million for the general election". The rest has to be spent in the primaries, current or future or has to be refunded.
So far, he only has $9.2m for the General Election, while Clinton has $30m in hand that can only be used in the General Election. That's one reason for her to soldier on: She has to refund that money if she drops out.

So, compared to McCain or Clinton, Obama is the one short of cash for the GE. That might change. That's the reason why he is all over the place, doing fund-raisers, why he is asking donors not to give money to 527-groups and why he is eager to declare victory. As long as the race is on, his supporters shower him with useless primary money when he needs GE money.

Money is not everything. Superdelegates profit from a candidate that can help them win votes. The two congressmen who won in Louisiana and Mississippi won, because they vehemently distanced themselves from Obama and because they are conservative Democrats from rural districts. Guess who is strong in rural areas?

[brendanm]

You are either misinformed or dishonest. Obama can spend his primary money however he wants until he's the official nominee (August). He has lots of money and an almost inexhaustible source for more. Clinton, on the other hand, has tens of millions of dollars in debt and her core donors are tapped. McCain is pathetic and is relying on lobbyists and $2300 a plate dinners with Bush to finance his campaign.

And most superdelegates, and analysts, think Obama would be better down ticket, especially in the South. Obama asked donors (millionaire and billionaire donors who are likely maxed out already) not to give to 527 groups because he can't control them and doesn't want them swift-boating McCain. He wants to run a clean campaign (hopefully not too clean). That is one advantage for Hillary Clinton in a general election: she's ruthless and won't let ethics interfere with victory.

[Scarllatti]

This bish66 fellow sucks. He is better off a Republican than a "Democrat". With Democrats like him, no one needs a a Republican. He is so irritating with his uninformed argument.

[BigMike75]

Wow, did you just misspeak? The fallacy you talk of is laughable at best. Obama is awash in fundraising dollars, and has created a fundraising machine Hillary or Mccain could only wish for. He has amassed the largest database in political history, and can tap into perpetually. Meanwhile Hillary is tremendous debt, and John's fundraising mechanisms are downright miniscule when compared to Obama's. You need to get your facts straight before you post stupidity like that.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Yeah, I've never before given a dime to a political candidate, but this year I maxed out on Obama. I consider it $2,300 well spent if the policies improve the country as a whole.

[GiannaX]

Barack has run an amazing campaign. He will be an amazing President. NO DOUBT. Please tell me Hillary's 'E' ticket ride in La La Land will expire June 3rd?.

[ldsrapha]

I thought Hillary got 10 Million dollars in 24 hours from 100,000 people what is up with this? Where is the moola???

[spqesq]

She dropped it on the tarmac in Bosnia when the snipers were shooting at her and her daughter.

[AshleyMarie]

So was her "I raised 12 million dollars in 72 hours" a bunch of crap, or did the rest of her month SUCK for fundraising???

And which is more embarrassing?

I am taking your calls!!!!

[GunneraGirl]

it appears to have been a lie.

[BigMike75]

According to some of the recent FEC numbers that whole "we raised 10 million in 24 hours after the PA primaries" seems to be extremely fabricated. But coming from the Clinton camp, that really doesn't surprise me.

[dp54]

Everyone needs to remember something. For almost 8 years this country has been dumbed down, convinced 911 was not an inside job, ignored in New Orleans disaster, and to believe that any beer drinking buddy can be president. We need to get beyond these disasters and come together to get our status back as the best country in the world. Have you been so destroyed in 8 years that you are back in 1960 to believe that skin color actually matters? What is wrong with this country that someone actually has the nerve to state that they vote against a skin color? My gosh, first of all Obama is half white. Not that it should actually matter. I see many scary white people I don't even want to acknowledge, and I am white. Intellect, critical thinking, does any of this sound familiar? Come on America, stop being so dumb. Back when Bush got elected I posted a sticker on my car that said 8 year sentence. Back than I never believed it could get this bad. Back then people laughed at it, but I bet they would not now.