The latest campaign fundraising numbers are out for the presidential candidates. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) raised almost three times as much money in January as did Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) John Dickerson of Slate.com talks to Alex Chadwick and Madeleine Brand about the financial impact on the Clinton campaign.
ALEX CHADWICK, host: John, it's Alex here. Let me ask you about money and the month of January, because there are new reports out today on campaign fundraising. They show both Democrats ahead of Senator McCain, though he was really just starting to pick up a head of steam in January, and among the Democrats Senator Obama raising three times as much as Senator Clinton did in January.</s>Mr. JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com): The numbers on the Democratic side are very interesting, and they tell the story of the larger narrative that we've seen, which is that Senator Obama has done well, he's raised more money, and he's managed it more wisely, and Senator Clinton has a lot of debt.</s>Mr. JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com): She ended January with $7.6 million in debt, which doesn't include the $5 million personal loan she gave herself. There's certainly grumbling among Democratic strategists not aligned with either campaign about how the money flies out of the Clinton campaign and exactly where it all goes, and I suspect when we look back on this campaign, someone will write a very smart story about the way in which resources were allocated in the Clinton campaign.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: There's a CNN-sponsored debate in Texas tonight for the Democrats. What are you expecting?</s>Mr. JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com): Well, I'm expecting some fireworks. Hillary Clinton is in a tough spot right now, and these debates have been something her campaign has been pointing us all towards for the last couple of weeks. They think she does well in these debates, and she often has come across as the more commanding presence, and she really has to do something to knock Obama off his game and create a moment that's big enough for us all to continue talking about it.</s>Mr. JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com): So what does a big moment mean? A big moment means something that reinforces an existing doubt about Obama. Those doubts have not surfaced so far. He's won 10 contests in a row, so she's got to really do something that not only reflects well on her but that gives people some reason to pause about Obama.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: Hey John, what about the math, the delegate math? We're seeing numbers that she has got to win an extraordinary amount of votes in the big states - Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania - something along the lines of 65 percent to 35 percent to get the amount of delegates that she needs. Is that true?</s>Mr. JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com): Well, there are two kinds of delegates math, as we're all learning. There's the pledged delegates, the delegates that are assigned from the actual voting that goes on in the states, and then there are the superdelegates. As you point out, she would have to do better than anybody ever possibly expects her to do to take a lead in the pledged delegates. But where she may be able to build back her lead is among the superdelegates.</s>Mr. JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com): But Obama will say, look, I have won among the regular folk in the land, and you should follow the inspiration of those regular people who have chosen these pledged delegates.</s>Mr. JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com): Clinton will argue the opposite case, of course, and will say, look, superdelegates have been given the power to follow their own conscience, and here is the reason they should follow their conscience and not follow the pledged delegate lead that Obama has. It's going to get into a very complicated spin war.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: John Dickerson, chief political correspondent for Slate.com. John, thank you.</s>Mr. JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com): Thank you.