Four updates is enough for one post. Time to start a new one....
Credit where credit is due. Tim Tagaris over at OpenLeft caught this last night, prompting this 5am post:
As I watched Hillary's speech last night, there was one piece that stuck out in my head for the rest of the evening.Her website.
It wasn't the first time I had heard her drop the URL on a national stage in the past week. In fact, it was the third. She did it at the debate, it was all over the Hallmark channel town hall, and then last night on national television. Indeed, I believe it was the only word on the placard in front of the podium last night.
Let me say this slowly, again, w - w- w- dot - hillary clinton - dot - com.
This is different from her campaign -- not something I've heard or recognized in the past.
As an internet director, there is one reason candidates drop the URL on television, and it's not because they care if people navigate through the tubes to learn more about your positions on the issues.
It's money. And sign-ups, which equal money.
Believe me, getting a candidate to drop the URL is difficult thing to do. They hate it, they feel stupid doing it, and they think it's demeans the campaign. This has been my near universal experience with any candidate I've worked for.
So after hearing it again, I started doing the math ... 32 > 12 in January. Massive spending in Iowa, NH, and a yesterday's national primary. How much money can she possibly have left over? My guess is not much....
It's pretty clear at this point Clinton's team doesn't have the kind of internet operation that can fund her effort down-the-stretch. For whatever reason, they haven't cultivated the kind of list that gives -- despite the fact I've heard many a rumor her list is as big, or even bigger! than Obama's.
My personal feeling is that's got a lot to do with the message coming from her shop online, which is probably no fault of Peter or Jesse. There's only so many times that you can raffle off access to the former President, or a debate. You might get a lot of sign-ups from a Soprano's video, or Bill Clinton eating a cheeseburger, but those aren't necessarily donors -- like when people signed up at Dodd's website during the FISA fight because of his LEADERSHIP.
Her big donors are maxed out.
The critical insight here is that the need to self-finance is a reflection of a much larger dynamic within her campaign. This is the story to watch, kids. Watch this space.
Subscribe to this blog's feed
