VIDEO: Civil rights activist Rice says what’s revolutionary in this election is not race but money

There was a day, not long ago, when Obama was the underdog of his own party. Now he’s unseated the Clinton throne and dried up the deep pockets of the GOP campaign machine. What happened?

Prominent civil rights activist, author, attorney and NPR commentator Constance L. Rice, who spoke last weekend at Wayne State University Law School, thinks she knows the answer: technology.
Rice, who has fought and won various civil rights cases and is currently litigating in Ohio over alleged voter intimidation, purging and caging, sees this election as part of a once in a century phenomenon. For a change, it’s not about race:

This particular election you will not see again. It is unique… for so many reasons: The obvious reasons, the first woman on the cusp of the presidency, the first African American on the cusp of the presidency, the First Mormon American… Those are the obvious things.

But Obama’s unprecedented success goes far deeper than the obvious. It stemmed from carefully researched campaigning methods and incredibly strategic, cutting-edge financial planning.

Rice explained in her speech:

“People automatically go to race. Race doesn’t come to me. That’s not what’s revolutionary. What’s revolutionary is what Obama has done in terms of money. He has democratized the money making machinery. [Before he began his run] his first trip was to silicon valley. He went straight to the CEO’s […] and asked “’Where is the technology now. If I can’t undo the dominance of the wealthy donor funding system I can’t undo the hold of the Clinton dynasty.’”

It not only worked on the Clintons, but now the deep pockets of the GOP are outmatched, too. While Sen. John McCain’s campaign scrimps and saves by focusing on key swing states alone, Obama is spending millions more on advertisements.  According to CNN,  Obama has raised some $600 million, much of it from small donations made online, and spent about $230 million of that on TV ads. You know that half-hour ad that aired on seven major TV networks during the middle of the World Series? That wasn’t cheap.

In fact, Obama’s 30-minute infomercial in prime time Wednesday was one of the biggest and most controversial displays of the success of his campaign’s fundraising. It was made possible by his decision not to opt for public funding, despite an earlier promise to be limited by public funding if McCain did likewise. McCain chose public funding, limiting him to $84 million, and now is heavily criticizing Obama for failure to keep his promise.

No matter the outcome on November 4th, Obama has changed how campaigns are financed for years, maybe for decades to come. Now that’s something–other than race–to talk about.