The desperate scramble for Bernie's secret weapon

[eridani]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/bernie-sanders-fundraising-list-222342#ixzz46dvrW1ul

Bernie Sanders shows no sign of dropping out of the presidential race anytime soon, but the vultures are already circling over his email list — perhaps the most coveted and valuable catalog of potential voters and donors in the Democratic Party at the moment.

The post-campaign fate of Sanders’ list — his 2016 crown jewel, and the backbone of the Vermont senator's online fundraising juggernaut — is the topic of frequent conversation among operatives working with the Democratic party committees, down-ballot candidates and a variety of liberal interest groups. Some have already begun strategizing about how to access the list through informal conversations with people close to the Sanders campaign.

For those fighting for the issues Sanders has made the centerpiece of his campaign — like campaign finance reform, the environment, and economic justice — his list of several million fervent activists willing to volunteer and donate money, often repeatedly, is regarded as something of an electoral gold mine.

But Sanders, still a White House candidate facing an uphill battle for the Democratic nomination, has all the leverage and control. So for now, any talk about his data trove takes place behind-closed-doors among Democrats eager not to offend him. Those close to his campaign recognize that if he started sharing his list now, he runs the risk of watering down his own fundraising potential as he focuses on defeating Hillary Clinton.

Democrats of all stripes also know that another, bigger, question looms: how — or even if —Clinton’s campaign will get any access to Sanders’ roster of young liberals, the group she’s struggled to reach for months.

[Mbrow]

1. you know,

look at the people Bernie has attracted, do they honestly think many of them would donate to the dinos currently in power at the DNC? I know that I didn't and won't, we donate and supported candidates that had our values and sure as hell didn't give anything to the DNC, Seeing they were not supporting progressive Democrats nation wide.

[HereSince1628]

2. That list is the core of Sanders movement, it'd be a terrible shame

for it to be turned into a tool for establishment party hacks harassing people for money with supper-time begging for money.

I really don't have a feeling that list would do the third-wayers much good. I don't think in WI, imo, it would do Tammy Baldwin or Ron Kind very little good.

If Sanders were listening to me on this he'd hear me saying that preserving, using and building on that list is really what separates his campaign and reform movement from those that collapsed with the general election. It shouldn't be handed to people who oppose and actively work against that reform.

I can understand if his campaign goes in debt and selling it is the only way out, but still that'd be a terrible terrible shame

[Baobab]

24. Bernie's success is because of SUBSTANCE, not because of some list.

Last edited Sat Apr 23, 2016, 03:50 PM - Edit history (1)

Hillary's s***ls are trying to obscure the fact that she's lacking any compelling reason to vote for her and thousands of compelling reasons never to.

hence the argument that bernie's success is due to his mailing list and not the differences between the two.

[Peace Patriot]

28. What you say is true, of course. But this is a strategic question.

Please see my comment, just below.

[Peace Patriot]

27. Good point! --that "The List" is the core of the movement if Sanders...

...gets aced out of the nomination. Of course our hearts and souls are not 'filthy lucre' but still, it's a contact list and one measure of devotion to the Sanders revolution, and would be very useful, in a good way, to people trying to organize continued action.

[HereSince1628]

29. With a Bernie win or loss that list is the core to prepare for 2016 midterms.

The movement isn't done battling, after the GE, the landscape for that effort is going to change to state conventions and things outside presidential politics.

[cantbeserious]

3. If Bernie Sells That List And This Citizen Starts To Receive Solicitations - This Citizen Will Be

Very, Very Angry!

[peacebird]

4. The list won't help the corporate/thirdway dinos at all, except to use it for purging voter rolls

For next closed primaries

[dreamnightwind]

9. Oh snap! Probably about right. - eom

[corkhead]

5. It was already stolen late last year when I started getting spammed by Hillary

[merrily]

6. Exactly HOW was Hillary struggling to reach Sanders' supporters from months? I call bs on Politico

and the authors of this article, Gabriel Debenedetti and Darren Samuelsohn

They want our names because they think they can mumble "liberal" and some other magic words and we'll start donating to them.

This list is worth a lot and they think Bernie will just turn it over "to be helpful."

I am going to contact the campaign and tell them I would object strongly to that.

[Karma13612]

15. I got a call on my cell phone the day of the

NY primary from Hillary's campaign reminding me to vote.

Only way she could get it was either from Bernie's camp (stolen via the DNC data breach) OR because I am an SEIU1199 member and they have my cell phone. They already endorsed Hillary.

Either way, "eeeewwww".

My vote is based on my hard earned knowledge of the candidates and their issues.

Bernie is the ONLY one in this election cycle that represents my position on the issues.

[BernieforPres2016]

7. ActBlue already has it

They solicited me a month or so for the DNC. I unsubscribed. They asked me why as part of the unsubscribe process. I told them I contributed to Bernie, not the corrupt DNC. I wrote that I would never give a nickel to the DNC and they could fuck off. And I told ActBlue they had gotten the last tip they would ever see from me.

It doesn't surprise me that Hillary's campaign and the rest of the Third Way Democrats are stupid enough to covet an email list full of people that hate their guts.

[LiberalElite]

8. "struggled to reach" ?? hmm

how could that be? She's on TV; She's on radio; She's on the internet; you can see Her in person if you pay enough. There MUST be another reason....

[LiberalElite]

22. and if Bernie hadn't decided to run-

none of this would have become so starkly obvious.

[Kip Humphrey]

10. That's ALL the establishment cares about - money. What they don't understand is the contributers

list is useless without the man and without the message - those are locks the corrupt DNC and Hillary campaigns can never unlock.

[felix_numinous]

11. Greed knows no bounds

[abelenkpe]

12. If Sanders list of contributors is what democrats

See as valuable and desirable they really have not been paying attention. Seriously doubt that Sanders supporters are going to start giving to anyone other than Bernie and the other candidates who support him.

[rickford66]

13. He could give it to Tulsi

[Else You Are Mad]

14. Just wait until we start getting..

Requests for $27 dollars from the Clinton campaign and starts bragging in the GE how the average donation she gets is for $27. Her best skill is to take credit for others accomplishments...

[Karma13612]

16. oh SNAP!! +100

[djean111]

17. The millennials will not send Hillary money.

I sure as hell would not. I would just request to be removed for the email list.

[Califonz]

18. Bernie's email list is the seed of a new, truly progressive political party

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

23. How much money will they waste trying to get us?

[jillan]

25. Hillary wants my list?

[MisterP]

26. they really do think that the key to winning over Sanders voters is to just get

the list and then mail them a lot