Ben Smith and Rebecca Elliott of Buzzfeed note that 88 percent of people who gave $200 or more to the Obama campaign in 2008 have not given that amount in the 2012 cycle. “A full 87% of the people who gave $200 — the sum that triggers an itemized report to the Federal Elections Commission — through April of 2008, 182,078 people, had not contributed by the end of last month.”
But in Obama’s defense, after three and a half years of his economic policies, a lot more Americans don’t have $200 to spare compared to 2008.
In other news, Monday’s economic news is grim: “New orders for U.S. factory goods fell in April for the third time in four months as demand slipped for everything from cars and machinery to computers, the latest worrisome sign for the economic recovery. The Commerce Department said on Monday orders for manufactured goods dropped 0.6 percent during the month. The government also revised its estimate for new orders in March to show a steeper decline.”
But don’t worry, America. Obama has a plan, and he’s getting on it immediately: “President Barack Obama is getting a little help from former President Bill Clinton at a trio of campaign fundraisers in New York. The presidential duo will speak at a high-dollar fundraiser at a private home, headline a gala at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel and end the night at an event dubbed “Barack on Broadway” at the New Amsterdam Theatre.”
I said, immediately: “Two weeks after his most recent fundraising visit to the Bay Area, President Barack Obama will return Wednesday to campaign in San Francisco. According to the Obama campaign, the president will speak at a luncheon held at the Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange building on California Street in the city’s Financial District. General admission tickets to the daytime event cost $5,000 per person, photo reception tickets are $7,500, and the right to serve as a table captain costs $50,000. Media outlets have reported Obama will be attending a second fundraising event in San Francisco at The Landmark at One Market. A call to campaign staff was not immediately returned. The president will not be in San Francisco for long before he is whisked away to Los Angeles for the 2012 LGBT Leadership Council Gala, a reception set to start at 6 p.m. at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.”
*Ahem.* Immediately: “On Friday, the President will welcome the Super Bowl XLVI Champion New York Giants to the White House to honor the team and their Super Bowl victory.”
Okay, so the president’s schedule is pretty booked this week. But he’ll get right on this next week… oh, wait: “Sarah Jessica Parker wants to know what you’re doing next Thursday night. The actress, long a supporter of Barack Obama, has released a video touting her arrival on Hollywood’s political fundraising train—via a swank dinner at her New York digs.”