I'm detecting an undercurrent in the media of fear. It's a fear of Sen.
Hillary Clinton's formidable fundraising capabilities. Last week, the
senator declined to opt into public financing, which leaves her campaign
free to spend the kind of money it takes to win.
Money is power and people get nervous when a woman wields power. The New
York Times ran an article after the general election criticizing Sen.
Clinton for spending too much money to win her Senate race. This is part of
the undercurrent -- we're seeing a new discourse, now that we have a woman
with the prowess to raise money with the big boys. In typical media
coverage, a politician's campaign finance chest is a measure of that
person's strength. The media gives a conscientious nod to the need for
campaign finance reform, while revering candidates who can raise the most
money. When I worked for U.S. Senator Bob Packwood in 1986 (R-OR) he raised
$6 million which was unheard of in the Northwest states back then. Some did
note it was an excessive sum, but the undercurrent was an acknowledgment of
his power: "man, nobody can touch this guy!" Money was a measure of power
until a woman started leading the pack.
When Elizabeth Dole ran in 2000 she was number two in the polls behind Bush
early on in the primary but she couldn't raise serious money, so she faded
away. Sen. Clinton is number one in the polls and a fundraising powerhouse;
she won't be fading away. That makes people nervous. When the young white
male political bloggers wring their hands at Sen. Clinton's rejection of
public financing, they expose either their naivete or some kind of Freudian
resentment of their mothers, or both.
I support the concept of campaign finance reform. I even started and then
abandoned a fledgling career as a campaign finance attorney after watching
the peak of the 527 manipulations to avoid new limits in the 2004 elections.
So long as we have Buckley v Valeo (holding that political contributions
are protected free speech) and crafty lawyers finding loopholes, campaign
finance laws can't be meaningful. Money finds a way.