More than 70 Top Clinton Donors Left Clinton for Obama according to WA Post article today

[Bigleaf]

According to a Washington Post article from today:

More than 70 top Clinton donors wrote their first checks to Obama in March, campaign records show. Clinton's lead among superdelegates, a collection of almost 800 party leaders and elected officials, has slipped from 106 in December to 23 now, according to an Associated Press tally.

There are signs that the anger voiced by some African Americans is beginning to extend to the Democratic donor base. Campaign finance records released this week show that a growing number of Clinton's early supporters migrated to Obama in March, after he achieved 11 straight victories. Of those who had previously made maximum contributions to Clinton, 73 wrote their first checks to Obama in March. The reverse was not true: Of those who had made large contributions to Obama last year, none wrote checks to Clinton in March.

"I think she is destroying the Democratic Party," said New York lawyer Daniel Berger, who had backed Clinton with the maximum allowable donation of $2,300. "That there's no way for her to win this election except by destroying , I just don't like it. So in my own little way, I'm trying to send her a message."

The message came in the form of a $2,300 contribution to Obama.

The Obama converts include William Louis-Dreyfus. The billionaire New York financier said he had been impressed by Clinton's performance in the Senate and distressed by eight years of the Bush administration when he donated the maximum to her campaign last August. Then, he said, he began watching more closely.

"However much one might have supported the Clintons, or one might support the usual suspects in the Democratic Party, I began to believe Obama represents a new approach. He gives off such a sense of relevance that he's sort of irresistible," Louis-Dreyfus said.

He also expressed, as did other big givers who crossed to Obama, exasperation about the tone of the Clinton campaign and frustration with the candidate herself.

"At the end of the day, all she had to do was open her mouth for me not to believe her," Louis-Dreyfus said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042503707_pf.html

[TragedyandHope]

1. Wonderful news, thanks!

[NJmaverick]

2. How can someone who can't even keep her supporters

Going to have a chance to win the GE?

[Scurrilous]

3. K & R

:thumbsup:

[flpoljunkie]

4. Quite remarkable statements from former Hillary Clinton supporters.

Donors are not the only ones who have made the leap. Gabriel Guerra-Mondragón served as an ambassador to Chile during Bill Clinton's presidency, considered himself a close friend of Sen. Clinton, and became a "Hill-raiser" by bringing in about $500,000 for her presidential bid.

But he had a fitful few weeks as the battle between Clinton and Obama turned increasingly negative. Last week, he decided he had seen enough.

"We're just bleeding each other out," Guerra-Mondragón said when asked why he had decided to join Obama's finance committee. "Looking at it as coldly as I can, I just don't see how Senator Clinton can overcome Senator Obama with delegates and popular votes. I want this fight to be over -- the quicker, the better."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042503707_pf.html

[Political Heretic]

5. I keep telling you I haven't been worried since Wisconsin.

That was when it was over. The rest was just the slow, sometimes painful march toward the inevitable.

[Inuca]

9. I HAVE been worried

not about Obama getting the nomination but about what will happen later.

[elocs]

11. Well, I'm happy to have voted for Obama here in Wisconsin and played my part. n/t

[cliffordu]

39. Yeah, but she has that 'Joementum'!!

[Inuca]

6. That last quote is perfect n/t

[Flying Dream Blues]

7. I just hope HRC doesn't cause us to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Her scorched earth approach is really disheartening to say the least. It's hard for me to believe Hillary is willing to be this destructive to the goals of the party--and to me, NOTHING is more important than making sure the Republicans aren't close enough to steal it. At this point I have to look at, because of the bitterness on both sides, which one can bring the most of the other's voters in. In my mind, that person is Obama.

As for this article, obviously this person hasn't been on DU if he/she thinks African Americans are the only ones who are pissed off at Hillary. I started out neutral because neither was my favorite, and have developed a great respect and excitement for Obama and his approach, and at this point I can hardly stand to look at Hillary, much less listen to her.

[book_worm]

8. "I think that she is destroying the democratic party" is a telling quote

and one I think many super delegates also are beginning to see. Her disgustingly low campaign tactics are coming back to haunt her. If she thinks by bloodying Obama up so badly that he loses in November will help her in 2012 she has another thing coming. I think many Democrats would hold her responsible for splitting the party and winning by running a GOP campaign against Obama in 2008.

[Catherina]

10. "At the end of the day, all she had to do was open her mouth for me not to believe her"

Great quote!

:woohoo: for the donors

[rainbow4321]

12. Drip, drip, drip...

More and more comments/stories like this until HRC agrees to withdraw.
Almost like her people/ex-people/Dem party leaders are doing an intervention with her ..except they are doing it thru the media cuz they know just pulling HRC into a room with them is NOT working.
Plus it goes right to the source..dry up her money sources.

[ScarletSniper]

13. And the death bell tolls even louder!!!! She's cooked.

[Darth_Kitten]

16. Well, maybe somebody can like start passing around a note in study hall....

hoping it reaches somebody who knows Hillary and they tell her to QUIT!!!!

:sarcasm:

[ScarletSniper]

20. And the DEATH BELL tolls louder and louder still..lmao

[ClassWarrior]

24. Or maybe she'll hold her breath till she turns blue...

...as she balls up her tiny little fists and shakes them at all the mean people who won't make her princess.

:rofl:

NGU.

[roguevalley]

37. money will be the end of her. the donations on the web last were

enough to put her 5 mil in the hole. she still is in debt 15mil if she spends that cash on the primaries coming up.

[ampad]

34. LOL

Where is Binka? She was on your ass the other day for being a shit starter not even able to vote in this country. :rofl:

[City Lights]

14. Ouch!

"At the end of the day, all she had to do was open her mouth for me not to believe her," Louis-Dreyfus said.

I couldn't agree more.

Recommended.

[Darth_Kitten]

15. Washington Post..........oh, children, come on..........

:eyes:

[cali]

17. look, genius. there are direct quotes and evidence

that these folks defected to Obama. Go to opensecrets if you don't believe the post. It's childish as you can get- and lame- to deny reality because you don't like the source. try again, kitty.

[rainbow4321]

25. You get much of the same reaction when you use

sources like her FEC list...specifically the IOU section. HRC can withhold all the info she wants but once the 20th of each month rolls around (when the monthly FEC list is posted online) there is no more denying/hiding. Her supporters can't insist "media spin", "anti-HRC source/website ", etc...

[Kber]

18. Not sure what you mean?

You aren't confusing the Post with the Wash Times, right?

[Adelante]

19. Huh? nt

[ampad]

35. I don't think they have those two newspapers

in Canada. That is probably why she got them mixed up. For shame! :rofl:

[ScarletSniper]

21. Denial ain't just a river or nickname anymore...lol..

[ScarletSniper]

22. dupe

[Yael]

28. Washington Post + NY Times = good. Washington Times + NY Post = bad.

[futureliveshere]

23. Loved the last line from Loius-Dreyfus.. Thanks for posting.. K&R

[Bigleaf]

27. He is the father of Julie Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine on Seinfeld.

[futureliveshere]

31. Oh cool.. I didnt know that.

[Nite Owl]

26. It's amazing that in her blind

quest to 'win' she is losing everything. The sooner she drops out the better chance we have to win this in November.

[Bigleaf]

40. I agree. That's why these donors are splitting. The pressure is only getting greater to wind this

down.

[IDemo]

29. The math gets especially hard to ignore with dollar signs in front of the numbers

And impossible to ignore if minus signs are included.

[SunsetDreams]

30. more and more are starting to recognize it is over!

[Spazito]

32. The bottom line is: NO money = END of campaign

and the donors leaving know that full well. They are sending a very clear message to the Clinton campaign for sure.

[davsand]

33. Max contributions to both sides of a Primary is no shock.

I'm not taking anything away from Hil or Obama here, but you all DO realize how common it is for large donors to give to BOTH sides in a Primary--right? It is a CYA thing, and it happens all the time even in a local level race.

I do think it speaks volumes about how much of an advangtage Hil had going into this race that she maxed out the big donors early on. That organization has been established for a LONG time and she worked hell out of it. I also think it speaks volumes about the level of credibility that Obama has managed to establish in the last year or two. Suddenly, he IS being taken seriously outside of Illinois...

Interesting story, Bigleaf. Thanks for posting it.



Laura

[ampad]

36. K&R

This just goes to show that the end is already here. I don't get too worried anymore because there is no way she is pulling this out her ass. Sensible people are not going to waste their money on someone who is intent on destroying this party and installing McCain. This is great news for Obama and for Dems across the country ( that would be America) :rofl:. All she is doing now is wasting money and time. Obama should ignore her and run as if he were the nominee because he is.

[quantass]

38. .

[Yurovsky]

41. K&R ... great news!

outstanding ... hopefully HRC will wake up & smell the coffee...