Numbers Game

Yesterday the Federal Election Committee finishing counting and double-counting the amount raised by Obama in the first quarter, and it was even more than originally reported. His campaign raised more than $25 million, and the original 100,000 donors was actually 104,000. Yet his campaign touts that the real story is the amount of giving in the two weeks since the end of the first quarter. Since that time, more than 18,400 donors have given, and 90 percent of those are for the first time.

An e-mail from his campaign had this to say:

With the news of our historic start, the Washington chattering class is nervous. Those invested in the status quo have a hard time grasping that a movement made up of people who want a new kind of politics can actually change things. Now's the time for every person who supports Barack Obama to make one thing perfectly clear: we're here, we're serious about change, and we're going to be heard.

And with the up-swing in donating, continues an increase in online support. Of the 18,000 donors, 15,000 gave online!

Recognizing that the support of women is also crucial to meet the numbers, Obama officially launched an initiative aimed at women today during a Women for Obama luncheon, where he raised $750,000 and once again made a statement by intruding on "Hillary's turf." And over the weekend he rallied in Atlanta and South Carolina. The Atlanta rally drew 20,000 supporters, more than have ever attended one rally in the city's history. And he entered Edwards turf in the Carolinas. All bets are off in Obama's campaign, proving that he really does a fresh way of doing things.