Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumDo people really think a billionaire's $2800 is worth more to a candidate than my $2800?
I'll probably wind up coming close to my individual donation limit over the next 7 months, now that I'm working again (woo-hoo!). I get that not remotely everybody can afford that but a whole lot of people in the country can and do. But there's this sense out there that a billionaire's $2800 is going to be more important to a candidate than a middle class person's $2800 is. I'm having trouble seeing where that idea comes from.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)That's where $$$ gets dangerous to democracy.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)CU broke the system hard, and will need to be legislated out of existence, if at all possible.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
George II
(67,782 posts)....who complains about Super PACs the most and "challenges" the other candidates to refuse support from them. He did it again yesterday on CNN - another challenge that he has no intention of complying with himself.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
frazzled
(18,402 posts)That has been leveled is specifically about the 40 individuals who contributed the $2,800. See the list here (includes people like transgender former military officer Jennifer Pritzger, an heiress to the Hyatt fortune).
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2019/12/21/here-are-the-billionaires-backing-pete-buttigiegs-presidential-campaign/#13c307c5fc6e
The PACs are a separate issue entirely. Both the charge and this PAC explanation are completely spurious with respect to the attack that Sanders made during the debate.
No one knows who or how many have contributed to the various PACs. Thanks, Citizens United. as to who gives $2800, who cares.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Kablooie
(18,641 posts)Your $2,800 will be forgotten.
Theirs wont be.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
IronLionZion
(45,563 posts)Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), is a landmark United States Supreme Court case concerning campaign finance. The Court held that the free speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political communications by corporations, including nonprofit corporations, labor unions, and other associations.
Billionaires can spend tons more than $2800 on advertising, SuperPACs, and other political organizations that are not directly for a particular campaign but can promote negative attacks on a candidate they oppose.
The other side aggressively promotes misinformation.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Recursion
(56,582 posts)But their donations to a candidate are what people seem to keep talking about
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)the wealthy can send $2800 directly to a bunch of candidates around the country, stacking the deck.
Most importantly, the wealthy can contribute tons of soft money.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
progressoid
(50,000 posts)That Billionaire's 2800 isn't very important, but the 2800 he gets from a couple thousand of his buddies is pretty influential.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Most of them aren't, they're just good at sales
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
progressoid
(50,000 posts)https://www.opensecrets.org/resources/10things/02.php
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)I mean. We're on Candid Camera, right?
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Tom Rinaldo
(22,917 posts)When they disproportionately line up behind a specific candidate there can be reason for concern about the nexus of those relationships.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)If not, then your 2800 ... is probably less important to your Prez candidate ... than someone who did.
Certainly if you were a Republican it would be to Donald Trump.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
LeftTurn3623
(628 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
jmg257
(11,996 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
DanTex
(20,709 posts)It's way beyond the dollar amount.
Billionaires have lots of wealthy friends who listen to them. They own wine caves and waterfront mansions that can host events raising a million in a night. They are more likely to donate to a SuperPAC in the present or in the future.
If it were just some isolated billionaire writing a check, you might have an argument. But, obviously, that's now how it works. The billionaires are part of the big-donor circuit.
I'm going max out as well, most likely, but none of the candidates are thinking "I should really make a good impression on DanTex and not do anything to piss him off otherwise the money tree might dry up." It's being willfully naive to act like there's no such thing as the "wealthy donor class".
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Recursion
(56,582 posts)That's kind of my point
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
DanTex
(20,709 posts)Pete and Biden do have more billionaire donors. And the larger truth is that Pete and Biden are the preferred candidates of the wealthy donor class, and are relying on that class to fund their campaigns.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
democrattotheend
(11,607 posts)So the fact that they donated $2800 is irrelevant. For all we know there could be billionaires who give to Our Revolution.
What does make a credible difference, I think, is the fact that Bernie (and I believe Warren) are not doing closed-door fundraisers with high dollar donors. That, IMO, is a stronger argument than the number of billionaires who made individual donations.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
DanTex
(20,709 posts)For a billionaire to throw weight behind a candidate without donating the $2800 would just be strange, maybe even perceived as shady. I mean, yeah, someone could host a big dollar fundraiser in a mansion, but then the actual person hosting the fundraiser doesn't donate. Possible, I guess, but that's not how it's done. As insignificant as the $2800 is financially, it serves as sort of a stamp of approval.
I agree with you that the stronger argument is the closed-door fundraisers rather than the billionaires who make individual donations. I guess Bernie thinks the billionaire thing is more "catchy" or whatever.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
democrattotheend
(11,607 posts)That's why Bernie's "40 billionaires" argument seems a little ridiculous to me.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided