Evaluating the Obama Presidency

Part I: Winning Elections and Building Political Coalitions

Chapter 2 The Transformation of Presidential Fundraising During the Obama Years

Brendan J. Doherty

Presidential fundraising underwent fundamental transformations during the eight years of Barack Obama’s presidency. After his unprecedented fundraising during the 2008 campaign when he became the first major party nominee to forgo public funding for both the nominating contest and the general election, President Obama set records with the number of reelection fundraising events he headlined and the money he raised during his bid for a second term. As he did so, he became the first sitting president to integrate all of his reelection campaign committee fundraising with his national ...