Obama builds a brand

The New York Times reports that Barack Obama has at least 258,000 campaign donors and that "of the $33 million Mr. Obama raised in the second quarter, about a third consisted of donations of less than $200 — more than the $10 million raised in $2,300 checks from big donors."

Part of that cash (several hundred thousand dollars of it) comes from selling Obama merchandise. Traditionally, political campaigns outsource their merchandise and do not make a profit on sales. The Obama campaign, however, chose not to do so, believing that the demand for Obama products would be strong enough to ensure profits. According to Ben Smith of The Politico, their "sales are a mark, it seems, that Obama is a great brand, and that his logo is felt to be a good thing to be seen wearing. It's associated with youth and energy, with the future, with racial tolerance, and with lots of other good things..."