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Fundraiser-in-chief: Is Obama too busy campaigning?

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    How does Obama compare to predecessors?

  • Duration 3:12
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-- President Obama has had the same number of fundraisers is the last four presidents combined.

Some say the president should spend more time well.

Being the president joining us now.

The man behind the -- political science professor at the US Naval Academy and author of the brand new book coming out this week -- rise of the president's permanent.

Campaign.

Doctor professor Brendan -- Good morning professor how are you good morning great thanks happened here let's talk about these numbers and and what's going on in in terms of this astounding -- time.

President Obama has spent.

Raising funds.

Absolutely so in my research I've look at how the present allocate his time because times is scarce resource and -- Obama's held more first term fund -- and more reelection fund -- Then recent -- it's at it's important putting historical.

Context the if we were talking eight years ago.

We we'd be -- -- George W.

Bush had broken the Clinton's record if we'd been talking if we were talking eight years before that numbers in terms of Ronald Reagan they were eighty.

-- -- bush 137.

Right.

An -- now what we're at 270.

Cents a pretty tremendous increase absolutely and isn't there's an understandable reason why why it's because of the rules of the campaign finance system that we have our contribution limits combined with a rising costs of campaigns.

So since the 1970s the bedrock of our campaign finance rules have been contribution limits on the amount of money can be given to.

Campaigns and the political parties to limit corruption or the appearance of corruption.

But campaign costs have exploded so when you combined contribution limits in the low thousands -- -- that now cost hundreds of millions it.

Virtually forces the president or -- looking -- -- spend more and more time raising money.

But this is a choice made by an individual.

President right.

There's been some criticism that the president has not attended.

The jobs council meeting in the last six months or so where is brought together 26 American leaders to talk about how to create jobs.

In America but the same tendency capacity to travel around the country to go to fund raisers -- people are getting fifty -- -- thousand dollars.

A person right so our priorities.

Wrong in this country at this points -- These are choices presidents make the choices are structured by the incentives provided by the rules of the system so.

George W.

Bush broke Bill Clinton's records Bill Clinton broke.

The first President Bush's records and if we have the same rules for eight years now -- the next president running for reelection.

Barack Obama's records will likely fall for a long time public financing held down the amount of time that presidents spent raising money because public money.

-- In exchange for voluntary spending months now.

When a president has to raise money in increments of thousands and you have super pacs that can accept checks that are in the ten million it takes more and more time to use.

There are -- the time time as a present scarce resource and time he's not he's spending.

Fund raising -- -- is not doing so folks -- the time I suggest that they read your book but mr.

because it's a very interest -- book and we wish you success with.

We hope to have you back soon thank you very much that's good look at -- at night to see it.

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