Obama Breaks Fundraising Record

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Illinois Sen. Barack Obama reported this weekend that he's raised at least $32.5 million for his Democratic presidential campaign in the last three months.

He's outpaced New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who reportedly expects to raise around $27 million, and he's set a record for fundraising among Democratic presidential candidates.

In a memo released yesterday, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe set the stage for him becoming the party's eventual frontrunner.

And Obama said in a statement: "Together, we have built the largest grass-roots campaign in history for this stage of a presidential race ... That's the kind of movement that can change the special interest-driven politics in Washington and transform our country. And it's just the beginning.''

But money aside, political watchers say Obama is still failing to connect with some African-American voters. In a compelling editorial in yesterday's Chicago Sun-Times, columnist Mary Mitchell wrote: "It is understandable that Obama doesn't want to be pigeonholed as the so-called black candidate, but he can't be so afraid of that label that he alienates the very base that could lift him in the primary election."

She compared his performance in last week's PBS debate to Sen. Clinton's: "Hillary nailed it." [Watch a clip.]

"Frankly, his universalist strategy might work for white voters, but black voters have been taken for granted long enough," said Mitchell. "If Obama's handlers don't understand this, then he ought to be looking for some new strategists. I'm disappointed that he doesn't appear to know that real progress on the racial front ought to mean that political candidates who are embraced by white voters don't have to keep their distance from black ones."

Is Obama playing it too safe? How would you advise him?

Geoffrey Bennett

12:30 PM ET | 07- 2-2007 | permalink

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