Barak’s Move to the Center Suppresses Fundraising

OH DEAR.

Since securing the title of presumptive nominee on June 3, Barak Obama has made a string of baffling pronouncements that have taken the wind out of the sails of his democratic base.

Could all the assumptions about this fundraising juggernaut prove wrong?

Could the blank slate candidate prove a little more blank than slate?

Just consider these moves and you will see why so many Democrats have been feeling deflated:

• FISA – Obama fails to make good on a promise to fight telecom immunity
• Hand Guns – He seems to embrace this controversial Supreme Court decision
• Death penalty  – Joins conservatives in criticizing the Supreme Court ruling
• Campaign Finance – He takes the money (although many on the left will give him this one)

Many pundits and columnists think that this is smart political maneuvering by a candidate who proves he is in it to win it. But after a heavy dose of Bush fatigue gave over to excitement at the prospect of both winning office AND changing policies these latest moves have been discouraging.

One Democrat operative close to the campaign told me that these moves have left staff “a little stunned. We are being told to grin and bear it but the bounce has definitely gone out of our step”.

More troubling is the depressed rate of fundraising. Although still impressive Obama’s fundraising has not hit the highs of earlier in the year. And the news is about to get worse. The anticipated joint appearance by Clinton and Obama with large donors was seen by many as underwhelming, if not downright tense. watch for June’s fundraising results for both Obama and DNC and watch the blood drain from the faces of the O Camp.