by John McCormick
NEW YORK - Sen. Barack Obama has already raised more than $450 million for his presidential bid, but he starts and ends today with massive fundraisers in Gotham.
A breakfast event at the Metropolitan Club ran $30,800 per person, with the first $2,300 going to Obama's general election campaign and the rest going to a joint committee he has with the Democratic National Committee.
At that morning event, Obama cautioned against over confidence among his supporters.
"For those of you who are feeling giddy or cocky or think this is all set, I just have two words for you: New Hampshire," he said, noting a stinging and surprising second-place finish he suffered during the primary season. "I've been in these positions before when we were favored and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked."
The Illinois Democrat thanked his nemesis from the long primary season for that lesson.
"That's another good lesson that Hillary Clinton taught me, so we want to make sure that we are closing strong, running through the tape," he said, according to a pool report of the breakfast.
Ten hours after leaving the stage at the final debate of the presidential campaign, Obama arrived in a gilded room at the Metropolitan Club, where at least 120 were seated to hear him.
"One of the things that I think we have to remember is that we are now 19 days, not from the end, but from the beginning," Obama said. "The amount of work that will be involved for the next president is going to be extraordinary."
The room was filled with business executives like Dick Parsons and Jim Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank. Obama told his supporters that he was going to need their help - not only in the waning days of the campaign, but also in the administration should he be elected.
"Once we're done, there is extraordinary expertise in this room and we're going to need good advice," he said. "And who knows, there might be even some of you who decide that you want to spend a little time in government. We're going to need people who can roll up their sleeves and make sure that Washington and Wall Street and the country as a whole are working."
Obama had started his remarks with a quip about the marathon series of debates he has participated in during the primary and general election campaign, saying with a smile: "I'm deeply saddened that after 26 debates, we have no more debates."
After making a day trip to New Hampshire, Obama will return here for several additional events, including a fundraiser headlined by rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.
But Obama may miss much of the music because of an earlier appearance at the Al Smith Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria.
Tickets for the Springsteen-Joel event, their first joint concert, range from $500 to $10,000, with those who raised $25,000 enjoying "host committee" and "lounge ticket" access.
With battleground state and national polls favoring Obama, he also is enjoying virtually unlimited financial resources because of his fundraising success.
"We're in a stronger position, it's fair to say, than Democrats have been relative to Republican nominees in the past few cycles," said David Axelrod, Obama's top strategist.
Comments
Senator Obama is correct to fear that the media might finally start to ask questions regarding his plans and policies!
This is the one institution that has bent over backwards to favor Obama and it is the one institution that has failed the American people.
Posted by: Pat H | October 16, 2008 9:44 AM
Please don't forget about the Joe's One, Two, Three, Four and Five Packs in this world. No one should be force to share their wealth but they need to remember that the One, Two, Three (every day people) etc put them in the position to be a Six Packs.
One last thing that I saw quotes in an article that I would like to share with more people "War does not determine who is Right, Was determine who is LEFT' This statement fits many of the situations we are in right now. Thank You.
Posted by: Sandra Evans | October 16, 2008 10:06 AM
Pat H: Get real. Like the media didn't bring up Wright, Ayers, Acorn at the behest of Clinton and McCain. Like the media didn't go lopsided for Hillary just because of an SNL skit. Like the media isn't letting McCain off scot-free with his constant flip flops.
People like you need to stop complaining about media conspiracies. There is left wing media, there is right wing media, there is centrist media. It's all mixed, and there is not single agenda. Everyone gets crucified and everyone gets propped up. GET OVER IT.
Posted by: Joe | October 16, 2008 11:38 AM
Great comment Joe!!
I am so sick of hearing about the left wing media, and how the only reason Obama is winning is because they aren't fair to McCain. Sore losers if you ask me.
Good job!!
Posted by: Tauna | October 17, 2008 10:21 AM
Guys! I think Americans are smart enough to know that the media will be biased towards Obama. These people may not be of the same mold, having different beliefs, levels of talent and persuasions but nonetheless, the profession is still too narrow to admit the types of people who will be enamored with a McCain given the current circumstances.
Take a closer look at the mix. Many among them are highly educated and honest, lumped together with those who just pander to the downtrodden; hogs for ratings; wished they got accepted to Harvard; pseudo-Liberals and sad pretenders to knowledge. These types, good and bad, will most likely lean towards Obama.
Be that as it may, we should not think that they have swayed the tide. Obama's big lead over McCain is greatly due to other factors. Of course, the media helped but not that much. If you are a McCain supporter and in need to beat the crap out of something, blame the world instead or Hollywood guys like Michael Moore. In case you have been deaf to reports from overseas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia all want the young guy who had been sober in his ways since the primaries. Even without considering that he had been more consistent and detailed enough with his plans, that steadiness alone has already won for him the confidence of the human race.
Posted by: Eddie | October 17, 2008 1:54 PM