O financiamento das campanhas eleitorais dos candidatos as presidenciais é (deve ser, nos termos da lei ) suportado exclusivamente por fundos públicos. Acontece que a lei nunca foi respeitada e os apoios privados têm subsistido com a aceitação implícita de todos.
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Obama, que não é tolo, e até ao fim de Abril tinha recolhido mais do dobro das contribuições arrecadadas por McCain, e sabendo que este continua a diligenciar no sentido de aumentar os recursos privados para a campanha, anunciou que vai renunciar ao apoio do erário público.
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MacCain, que foi apanhado de surpresa com a notícia, declarou, num primeiro instante, que faria o mesmo, reconsiderando pouco depois e, certamente, depois de ter contado as armas.
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A questão não é considerada muito relevante, mas numa confrontação que pode vir a resolver-se aos pontos, todos os pequenos gestos contam.
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Republicans conceded privately that Obama's decision puts them at a disadvantage. McCain has attended dozens of fundraisers since he clinched the nomination in March, averaging close to one event per day. He appeared in Chicago on Wednesday night at an event that raised more than $1 million, and he met with donors in Minneapolis yesterday. Next week's schedule includes two fundraisers in California, two in Ohio and one in Las Vegas. McCain's wife, Cindy, will join Henry A. Kissinger for an event with U.S. expatriates in London.
McCain's campaign is also bracing for a huge wave of spending from labor unions and other Democratic-aligned groups.
"I assume he's going to outspend us," Black said of Obama. "We don't have to spend as much as he does to win."
Obama's announcement was not unexpected. Months ago, he began to shift away from an early pledge to "pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election."
After securing the Democratic nomination this month, Obama moved quickly to impose his own stringent fundraising restrictions on the Democratic National Committee, ordering it to stop accepting donations from federal lobbyists and political action committees, and he has discouraged his donors from contributing to liberal independent political organizations, called 527 groups, that are expected to hammer McCain in the fall.
"John McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs," Obama said in his message to supporters yesterday. "And we've already seen that he's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations."
To date, no conservative 527 groups have materialized. But Obama portrayed his call as a preemptive strike.
"From the very beginning of this campaign, I have asked my supporters to avoid that kind of unregulated activity and join us in building a new kind of politics -- and you have," Obama said. ". . . I'm asking you to try to do something that's never been done before."
McCain's campaign is also bracing for a huge wave of spending from labor unions and other Democratic-aligned groups.
"I assume he's going to outspend us," Black said of Obama. "We don't have to spend as much as he does to win."
Obama's announcement was not unexpected. Months ago, he began to shift away from an early pledge to "pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election."
After securing the Democratic nomination this month, Obama moved quickly to impose his own stringent fundraising restrictions on the Democratic National Committee, ordering it to stop accepting donations from federal lobbyists and political action committees, and he has discouraged his donors from contributing to liberal independent political organizations, called 527 groups, that are expected to hammer McCain in the fall.
"John McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs," Obama said in his message to supporters yesterday. "And we've already seen that he's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations."
To date, no conservative 527 groups have materialized. But Obama portrayed his call as a preemptive strike.
"From the very beginning of this campaign, I have asked my supporters to avoid that kind of unregulated activity and join us in building a new kind of politics -- and you have," Obama said. ". . . I'm asking you to try to do something that's never been done before."
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