One of the strongest markers that this may be a Democratic year is not simply the surge in registered Democratic voters, and the collapse in Republican registrations among young people. It's the money. Democrats don't like to dwell on this but into the 1980s, using direct mail and other techniques, the number of Republican small donors outnumbered Democratic supporters, and indeed Democrats from "red" states found themselves flying to Hollywood and appealing to trial lawyers and (some) labor unions to match this broad Republican base.Now it's different.A trivia contest:Q. Guesshow much money Barack Obama raised in February?A. $55 million.Q. How much of this was raised on the internet?A. $45 million.Q. How many fundraisers did Obama have to attend to raise this staggering sum?A. One.For more, readthis.

John T. McGreevy is the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at the University of Notre Dame.

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