Comments on: I’m Surprised It Took That Long

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:29:23 +0000

CTD: “As has been pointed out elsewhere,” Obama owes LESS to anyone that any president in recent history. Over 50% of donors to the Obama campaign donated less than $200. This is compared to 30% of Bush’s donors, meaning that Bush’s campaign was supported much more by those with deep pockets who can command attention and favors.

When you have been supported by three million individual donors from across the country with different desires, you owe no individual group for your success.

By: Cynical In CA

Cynical In CA — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:09:25 +0000

“So I’ve got the Obama administration’s first lie …”

You mean his lips didn’t move until Nov. 9th, 2008?

By: FWB

FWB — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:55:37 +0000

Your seat in hell is reserved with the others who have differing opinions. Actually, your seat in Heaven may be reserved for noting this.

By: FWB

FWB — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:54:23 +0000

And now we see the “CHANGE” so long promised. NOT!

By: Elliot

Elliot — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:59:30 +0000

Stop, Radley! Have you no sense of humanity!?? Next, you'll be torturing Obama's people with the comfy chair!

By: Fay

Fay — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:39:12 +0000

Well then by CTD’s logic, he’s also gonna have to make a lot of phone calls, because he also had MORE individual donors, and a smaller average individual contribution, than any president in history… and he refused to accept donations from federal lobbyists or PACs. Small donors deserve their “free” speech too, right?

By: CTD

CTD — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:55:09 +0000

The downside off all the money The One raised is, as has been pointed out elsewhere, that he owes more favors to more people & interests than any president in history.

And #21 TJ has pointed out the exact nature of the lie for those who just don’t quite get it.

By: GregoryMac

GregoryMac — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:47:19 +0000

Did anyone expect less? After all, he is THE ONE. How dare you doubt him. He knows whats best for us. Your seat in hell is reserved with the others who have differing opinions. Who cares anyway? You that disagree with his ideas must be racist anyway.

By: Dave Krueger

Dave Krueger — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:46:57 +0000

LMAO! Ya gotta love those naive idiots who think huge campaign contributions are something other than bribes. It’s certainly not corruption. Corruption is what happens in other countries.

Obama’s campaign financiers are lining up at the door. “It’s payback time, Baby!”

By: Kolohe

Kolohe — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:43:36 +0000

Yeah, what JJH2 said. This is definite spin, but to call it a ‘lie’ assumes some facts not in evidence.

By: TJ

TJ — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:45:42 +0000

“It’s a coincidence” would be the lie, I’d guess.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:19:11 +0000

I'm a bit worried about the people who think fundraising shows important skills that would qualify them for this job. Maybe folks are just rich and hang out with other rich people? Luckily, we can just check their qualifications. I did that, and contrary to Radley implicit assertion, they just look like qualified people who happened to be bundlers. Hopefully I won't go hell for this bit of self-promotion, but I wrote if you want the tedious details, I got them.

By: Nothing to See Here « Wintry Smile

Nothing to See Here « Wintry Smile — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:14:06 +0000

[...] November, 2008 · No Comments When I saw Radley Balko’s post that 6 of the 15 members of Obama’s transition team were bundlers, I had an immediate reaction of disgust. Even for [...]

By: Brandon Bowers

Brandon Bowers — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:10:25 +0000

I don’t necessarily believe this is a lie, nor do I believe it would be the first.

By: Honeyfrog

Honeyfrog — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:04:39 +0000

You don’t think Obama lied in his mealymouthed crab-skitters away from hard questions regarding Wright and Ayers (not that the media were willing to ask much, but even so)?

By: scott clark

scott clark — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:53:57 +0000

DJ, even the nth degree of cynicism would not be unhealthy when it comes to politics.

By: andyinsdca

andyinsdca — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:07:02 +0000

As much as I detest Obama’s politics, it’s hard to get on a guy who has people in his transition team that helped do fundraising. Good fundraisers have a head for organization, motivating people, politics, &c. Those are the same people you would WANT on a transition team. Sure, there probably is some backscratching going on (Obama IS a Chicago politician, after all), but he wants good people.

There will be plenty of rocks to turn over later when Obama takes the Oval Office.

By: DJ

DJ — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:06:02 +0000

Seems like a pretty serious stretch to call this a lie. At worst, there are some bad atmospherics. What’s lacking in your post is, as #14 observes, any explanation as to why these six are unqualified such that their roles cannot be understood except on the ground that they raised a lot of money. Take, for example, Susan Rice. She’s a longtime foreign policy advisor to democrats, served on the National Security Council and was an Assistant Secretary of State. She’s also been a longtime Obama advisor in addition to having worked at various think tanks. Is it really so implausible that Obama would include her as an advisor on the transition apart from her fundraising?

She’s just one example, but your comment that Obama lied reflects something of a possibly unhealthy degree of cynicism about US politics.

By: James D

James D — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:49:47 +0000

The best part, your ad on the right of your page was an ad asking “Did Obama buy the election?” :)

Now you can start angering all these liberals who are more recent visitors to your site.

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:28:45 +0000

Not buying the first lie bit either. I think you were too eager to pull the trigger.

I’m sure these 6 people are very talented, motivated people that work close to Obama. It would make sense that they also would be the most effective money bundlers. It would also make sense that he would also want them to work on the transition team (which also needs money).

I’m calling it a swing and a miss.

Better luck next time ;)