Patrick Ruffini declares the potential down-the-ballot impacts of Obama's massive money machine to be "the political equivalent of Sherman's March."

All too true, perhaps. For the true military history buff, I might offer the crushing pursuit of the Prussians by Napoleon's Grand Army following the dual victories at Jena and Auerstadt in 1806 as an even better analogy (the Prussians did eventually retool their army in response and help crush Napoleon in later years), but the potential impact Ruffini describes is not to be ignored.

Meanwhile, Ruffini's post also enunciates the obvious fact that public financing of Presidential elections is "dead, dead, dead." Obama's use of the Internet has totally changed how finances in such campaigns work. Had the GOP candidate not been John McCain - he of zero, pre-Palin enthusiasm from the conservative base - both sides would have figured that out this year.

Obama is a unique case, perhaps, though Bush and Kerry were fundraising machines too and could have easily have forgone the public financing system in full if needed. What then to make of Dino Rossi's Obama-like donor base, in unheard of numbers - over 52,000 - with an exceptionally modest average contribution size of under $100?

Is Rossi's success a function of the absolutely extraordinary nature of this gubernatorial contest, or will future statewide candidates in high profile races be able to tap a similar grassroots source of campaign funds?

That probably remains to be seen.