October 10, 2003
Clark May Give Dean a Run for His Money (washingtonpost.com)
Early in his campaign, Clark has demonstrated considerable fundraising prowess. From Sept. 17, the day of his announcement, to Sept. 30, Clark raised $3.5 million, substantially more than Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) raised during the three months of the third quarter. But Dean is expected to report he raised $14.8 million during the quarter that ended Sept. 30, the most of any Democratic candidate.
The former Vermont governor has been more successful than his rivals in using the Internet, raising about half of his third-quarter total that way. But Clark may prove equally adept. Before he even announced his candidacy, the Draft Wesley Clark operation on the Web had gathered $1.9 million in pledges. Although campaign officials do not know how many of those pledges became actual donations, two-thirds of the money that Clark raised in the past quarter came via the Internet.
The Clark campaign has signed up about 100,000 supporters, half of whom enlisted through the Draft Clark Web site, according to John Hlinko, who ran the site and now runs Internet operations for the campaign. Hlinko said the campaign is trying to overtake Dean, who as of yesterday had enlisted 461,206 people through the Internet.
. . . On a recent swing through Los Angeles, Clark was the beneficiary of a $2,000-a-head fundraiser hosted by Lear and his wife, Lyn, Larry and Lauri David, and Mary Steenburgen. Lear, who gave Dean $2,000 in April, said, "Both Dean and the general are the ones closest to what needs to be said." After spending time with both candidates, Lear said, "I'm inclined to the general," adding, however, "I want them both out there."
In what many California activists described as a significant development, Eli Broad, a businessman and major philanthropist in the arts and education in the state and nationally, is supporting Clark and indicated he is likely to raise money for him. Broad, the activists said, gives Clark access to the California business community, which is substantially more moderate than the liberal entertainment community.
. . . One of Dean's early achievements on the West Coast was lining up movie director Rob Reiner, who has helped turn Dean into the Democratic candidate virtually certain to emerge with the strongest California financial backing when reports are filed with the Federal Election Commission on Oct. 15.
In Clark's case, in addition to enlisting Broad, and possibly Lear, the candidate has lined up a solid commitment from Peter Morton, founder and chairman of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Inc.
Despite his early fundraising success, Clark has a long way to go to become fully competitive with Dean. Dean broke Democratic records for fundraising in a single quarter, with $14.8 million at the start of the year, and led in the second quarter, with $7.6 million.