However, it missed an important point. A comparison between the fundraising of Sen. George Allen and challenger Jim Webb is somewhat misleading. Allen is allegedly running for president too. He has to run in fifty states, while Webb only has to run in Virginia. How much of Allen+óGé¼Gäós money will be spent on campaign trips to Iowa and New Hampshire?
How do Allen+óGé¼Gäós campaign funds compare with other Senators who is running for reelection but also may be running for president? Allen has $6.6 million. Sen. John McCain has Sen. Hillary Clinton has $22 million.
Incumbent Senator Allen +óGé¼+ôhas been on the airwaves constantly,+óGé¼-¥ but only leads 51%-41% (Rasmussen Reports 06/14/2006) or 49%-44% (Wall Street Journal/Zogby 06/21/2006) against the +óGé¼+ôunknown+óGé¼-¥ Webb. All the money in the world won+óGé¼Gäót cover up the disastrous policies of Sen. Allen and President Bush.
And yet Allen's reelects are still low, and Webb is within striking distance.
Webb needs money -- and it is going to have to come in part in chunks -- those 2,100 checks from bigger donors. He needs to have enough money to be able to get on the air with at least one positive piece defining himself.
But most of the money now, i would guess, is dedicated to setting up a state-side field organization, without which all the advertising in the world will not make a difference.
I am tapped out for the present -- I'd have to check but I think that I've given something over 700 so far -- a lot for a school teacher, more than 1% of my gross income. I will come up with more, but people like me are not going to be sufficient -- unless we get a whole lot more of them.
Remember Dean used to tell us that if one million people each gave 100 that was still 100 million.
If we can get all our friends and families to give something, even 25, 50 or 100, and there are lots and lots of people giving, it will make a difference.
We cannot put this just on the campaign, or even on Lowell in his role of netroots fundraising -
If people want Webb to have a chance, they have to commit more than their one vote each in November, and if we want them to do it, we have to ask.