"Big Donors Drive Obama's Money Edge"

The Washington Post offers this front page report.

There was one aspect of the report I think is either incorrect or measuring something differently than I would. It states:

Lost in the attention given to Obama's Internet surge is that only a quarter of the $600 million he has raised has come from donors who made contributions of $200 or less, according to a review of his FEC reports. That is actually slightly less, as a percentage, than President Bush raised in small donations during his 2004 race, although Obama has pulled from a far larger number of donors. In 2004, the Bush campaign claimed more than 2 million donors, while the Obama campaign claims to have collected its total from more than 3.1 million individuals.

According to the most recent Campaign Finance Institute release, covering the general election period (in September only), Sen. Obama raised $67.4 million in donations of $200 or less, making up 45% of his total individual contributions in September. During the primary season, counting both contributions for both the primary and the general election, Sen. Obama raised $222.2 million in donations of $200 or less, making up 49% of his individual contributions.

Putting the numbers together, of his total individual contributions of 452.8 million (through August) plus 148.9 million in September, he's raised $289.6 in < 200 contributions out of a total of $601.7 million, for a little over 48% of total individual contributions from donors giving $200 or less..

In contrast, in 2004, President Bush raised $78.4 million in < $200 donations out of a total of $256 million in total individual contributions, amounting to about 31% of his total from donors giving $200 or less.
UPDATE: I have gotten to the bottom of this, and it is my error. See here.

Posted by Rick Hasen at October 21, 2008 09:54 PM