Will Foreign $ determine our next president?

Obama’s decision to be the first major-party presidential candidate to reject public financing raises some troubling questions.

First, and not least, is his hypocrisy. He talks a good talk about ethics and campaign finance reform, but is willing to throw it all into the garbage when he is the product being financed. He has reneged upon his prior promise to stick with public financing, something that sets reasonable limits on the amount of cash that can be tossed down the drain in getting a certain person into the White House.

But politics is politics and political folks don’t always keep their word…as Donna Obama Brazille points out, sometimes political folks like to change things halfway thru the game when it is to their advantage…say, taking votes that were never cast for you, or breaking your promise to stick with reasonable spending limits.

NOW…for the Second Issue. One that is not raised by mainstream media, even as a possibility because it can never be proved. But it can certainly be surmised.

It seems likely that Obama’s campaign is being MASSIVELY FUELED BY FOREIGN DONATIONS. Now, because of our system this can never be proved but facts can point this way.

For example from an article in the LA Times.
:Barack Obama is positioned to mount a general election campaign on A SCALE THE NATION HAS NEVER SEEN, fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations. And: Obama's already deep pool of about 1.4 million donors is expected to swell.

This strikes me as odd, considering the polls show Obama and McCain in pretty much a statistical dead heat. And Obama didn’t even win the popular vote in his own primary. SO WHY SO MUCH CASH? This guy is--media luvn’aside-- an average candidate.

Now, consider that almost half of his donations are from small donors. Then consider the global élan (especially from countries that are primarily non-caucasian) in seeing a bi-racial candidate in serious contention for the White House. (There have been plenty of press reports of this élan, from India, to Indonesia, to Africa to the Middle East.) I think that is just fine, in the way that I think many women the world over would be overjoyed to see a women in contention. But women the world over are not in control of household finances and they are not likely, especially in non-Western counties, to be politically engaged.

So that leaves it to the men to funnel money to relatives in the US who can legally donate to a campaign. As long as a person contributes only a total of $2,300, no laws are broken, no green cards endangered... If, say, 5, 10 or even 20 relatives back home in India, or Singapore, Iran, or South Africa, etc., send the US donor cash to give to a campaign. Once Uncle Larry sends you 50 bucks, then that 50 bucks is yours to do with as you wish.

Per the Center for Responsive Politics, there is a big spike of donors from Americans who live abroad…”they are giving more than ever before” with Obama in the lead in their choice. Now this is only a small piece of the puzzle, and many Americans abroad also gave to campaigns other than Obama’s.
But the big question remains: Unpresidented amounts are flowing into Obama’s coffers.

To wit, from the LA Times article: According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Through the end of April, Obama has brought in more than $265 million, compared to less than $97 million for McCain. And: Chris Kofinis, a Democratic strategist who worked for John Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign, predicted that Obama could raise and spend $200 million in the post-convention period alone.
Obama's campaign said the decision to reject public funding was tough. It is rooted in the unmatched success Obama has enjoyed in raising money.
Now, FemiSex, understands that Obma made his pledge to use only public money based on historic projections of money raised. But when Camp Obama realized unimagined dollars were barreling into his bank account, then he pulled a plug on his pledge. I mean whoda thought! That is until one does.

UPDATE: BHO raised $52 million in June--$52 million from a guy losing ground to McCain in the national polls, from a guy that was just found to have a 31% approval rating (among white voters) in a Times?CBS poll?

--WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Barack Obama's campaign on Thursday announced it raised $52 million last month -- more than double the amount rival John McCain brought in, according to campaign officials for the presumed Democratic presidential nominee.

--Newsweek--A month after emerging victorious from the bruising Democratic nominating contest, some of Barack Obama's glow may be fading. In the latest NEWSWEEK Poll, the Illinois senator leads Republican nominee John McCain by just 3 percentage points, 44 percent to 41 percent. The statistical dead heat is a marked change from last month's NEWSWEEK Poll, where Obama led McCain by 15 points, 51 percent to 36 percent