A strong fundraising performance by Sen. Barack Obama, whose $25-million total nearly matched that of Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, came as welcome news Wednesday for a campaign beginning to face criticism as lacking substance.
Obama, a freshman lawmaker on his first try for the White House, has surged to the fore in the Democratic field, thanks in large part to his compelling biography and message of hope and political healing. With Wednesday's announcement, he proved himself to be a fundraising powerhouse.
Obama said he raised more than $25 million from 100,000 donors in the first quarter of the year. Clinton raised $26 million from 50,000 donors in the first quarter, and former Sen. John Edwards raised $14 million, their campaigns said previously.
"It is very impressive, extremely impressive," said Democratic consultant Bill Carrick of Los Angeles, who has not taken sides in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Obama's strong first-quarter showing comes as the laudatory wave that ushered him into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is giving way to less favorable assessments of his campaign, most importantly in states that will hold early contests in 2008. He is criticized as too vague on issues.
Although Obama continues to attract large crowds, his penchant for generalities has disappointed some audiences, particularly those most attuned to politics. His lack of specifics is especially apparent when he shares the stage with some of his more experienced rivals.
"He gets some nice publicity out of raising all this money," said Alan Abramowitz, who teaches political science at Emory University in Atlanta. "He gets people's attention, reinforces the idea that he's one of the major contenders. He has a chance to be very competitive for this nomination. But I don't think it dispels some of the concerns about where he stands on some of the issues."
Said David Nagle, a former Iowa congressman and longtime Democratic activist who is neutral in the primary fight: "He needs to be more substantive.... I wouldn't give him high marks."
At a recent firefighters' convention in Washington, Obama did not measure up to his rivals, at least in the view of some union members, said Harold Schaitberger, president of the influential International Assn. of Fire Fighters.
