Dick Morris: Hillary is staying in the race to try and shift her $13m debts

[Joe Republic]

http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/2008/04/02/why-hillary-wont-quit/

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[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Not only that, but if she leaves a large debt on the table, she'll have a hard time raising money for another attempt in 2012 or 2016.

[MODU]

I could see that as being one reason.  However, unless her fundraising rate increases, I can't see her making a dent in her debt without cutting back on her travel and campaigning events.

[Mr. Morden]

Right.  Because Clinton is never going to be able to raise $13 million again if she drops out of the race???  Remind me again, how much did she raise for her 2006 senate race?

[MODU]

Right.  Because Clinton is never going to be able to raise $13 million again if she drops out of the race???  Remind me again, how much did she raise for her 2006 senate race?

If I remember correctly, and correct me if I'm wrong, one cannot transfer funds back and forth between campaign organizations for different offices.  So, if Killary carries over a $13M debt from this campaign, she can't repay it with her Senatorial re-election fund.  Right?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Right.  Because Clinton is never going to be able to raise $13 million again if she drops out of the race???  Remind me again, how much did she raise for her 2006 senate race?

Those funds can't be used for her Presidential race.

Right now, if I ran a business that a campaign might wish to obtain services or supplies from, I'd deal with Hillary on only a cash in advance basis, and if she doesn't clear her debt from this Presidential race, she'll face the same problems in a future Presidential race.  The Hillary campaign's trail of late and overdue payments makes any future Presidential run by her other than one for re-election more difficult by making handling campaign finances more difficult.  John Glenn's debt leftover from his 1984 attempt was one reason he never made another attempt.  (His campaign committee finally closed down a few months ago, still owing people money.)

[Mr. Morden]

No, I think you're wrong that she can't transfer funds from one race to the other.  She already transferred $10 million that she had left over from her '06 senate race into her presidential campaign fund.  What she *can't* do is use more than the $2100 limit from any one donor for a given race.  That's the whole reason why the candidates already set up general election funds.  Anyone wanting to donate more than $2100, just gives to the GE fund.

Anyway, you're missing the point of why many people donate to candidates.  Quite a bit of that $ is donated in an attempt to influence the people in power.  A US Senator from NY in HRC's position will have no problem raising that kind of $ (though it may take a while), even once she's given up on the presidency.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

For once Dick Morris might be on to something.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Anyway, you're missing the point of why many people donate to candidates.  Quite a bit of that $ is donated in an attempt to influence the people in power.  A US Senator from NY in HRC's position will have no problem raising that kind of $ (though it may take a while), even once she's given up on the presidency.

John Glenn never did manage to get his campaign debt paid off and it was only $3 million initially.  The problem is that the big donors that you think will help Hillary erase the debt in exchange for political influence with a senator have for the most part already given the max they can to the primary campaign.  There's also the fact that Hillary's influence if she doesn't get the nomination this year will be less than it would have been had she not sought the nomination.

[Trilobyte]

If she's just trying to repay her debt, why would she keep buying ads instead of saving up every penny that's being raised?

[Verily]

No, I think you're wrong that she can't transfer funds from one race to the other.  She already transferred $10 million that she had left over from her '06 senate race into her presidential campaign fund.  What she *can't* do is use more than the $2100 limit from any one donor for a given race.  That's the whole reason why the candidates already set up general election funds.  Anyone wanting to donate more than $2100, just gives to the GE fund.

Anyway, you're missing the point of why many people donate to candidates.  Quite a bit of that $ is donated in an attempt to influence the people in power.  A US Senator from NY in HRC's position will have no problem raising that kind of $ (though it may take a while), even once she's given up on the presidency.

She can't transfer from the general to the primary, as all general election funds collected at this point are simply donations over the single-election limit. (Nor could Obama, although he has very little that is only for the general.) She has a huge amount of general election money right now that she'll have to hand back to her donors - not use to pay off campaign debts - when she loses.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If she's just trying to repay her debt, why would she keep buying ads instead of saving up every penny that's being raised?

Because she needs to win Pennsylvania to trigger more fund raising.  Obama's starting running TV ads in North Carolina, so far I haven't seen a Hillary ad yet.

[Mr. Morden]

No, I think you're wrong that she can't transfer funds from one race to the other.  She already transferred $10 million that she had left over from her '06 senate race into her presidential campaign fund.  What she *can't* do is use more than the $2100 limit from any one donor for a given race.  That's the whole reason why the candidates already set up general election funds.  Anyone wanting to donate more than $2100, just gives to the GE fund.

Anyway, you're missing the point of why many people donate to candidates.  Quite a bit of that $ is donated in an attempt to influence the people in power.  A US Senator from NY in HRC's position will have no problem raising that kind of $ (though it may take a while), even once she's given up on the presidency.

She can't transfer from the general to the primary, as all general election funds collected at this point are simply donations over the single-election limit. (Nor could Obama, although he has very little that is only for the general.) She has a huge amount of general election money right now that she'll have to hand back to her donors - not use to pay off campaign debts - when she loses.

I know that.  My point is that she raised, what?  $50 million or some absurdly high number like that for her Senate race in 2006?  And she can't raise another $13 million in the future to pay off her 2008 presidential campaign debt?  Once she starts raising $ for her 2012 reelection campaign, can't she ask some donors to also contribute to her 2008 campaign debt (many of them have already maxed out, but not all...I mean she's still raising $ for the 2008 primaries today)?

And even if she can't pay off her 2008 campaign debt with additional fundraising, what's the worst that's going to happen to her?  It's not as if she's going to be thrown in jail.  And the Clintons are now rich enough that they could easily afford any fines.  So it seems kind of stupid to be continuing the campaign just for financial reasons.

[WalterMitty]

dick morris has an unhealthy obsession with hillary clinton.

we would all be much happier (by all...i mean myself) if morris went back to sucking the toes of prostitutes and leaving the world of political analysis to people who actually know what they are talking about.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

And even if she can't pay off her 2008 campaign debt with additional fundraising, what's the worst that's going to happen to her?  It's not as if she's going to be thrown in jail.  And the Clintons are now rich enough that they could easily afford any fines.  So it seems kind of stupid to be continuing the campaign just for financial reasons.

The worst that can happen is that when she tries another Presidential campaign, she can't get people to agree to be paid later once the contributions come in.  She could even have what happened to John Glenn happen to her.  A very disgruntled sign maker picketed outside the Senate office building with signs asking when the deadbeat candidate was going to pay him.  Can you imagine how much fun Fox News would have covering that if it were to happen these days?

Only if Hillary has no interest in trying to run for President again, does she not have to worry about having unpaid campaign debt, but if she does then want a second bite at the apple, the unpaid debt will be a heavy hindrance.