Where is conservative money gone?

[Perky]

Two recent articles beg the question.

Some leading tea party activists are concerned that their efforts to reshape American politics, starting with the 2010 elections, are being undermined by a shortage of cash that’s partly the result of a deep ambivalence within the movement’s grassroots over the very idea of fundraising, and partly attributable to an inability to win over the wealthy donors who fund the conservative establishment.

Many tea party organizations have shied away from the heavy-handed solicitations that flood the email boxes of political activists. And the handful of tea party groups that have raised substantial amounts, either by embracing aggressive fundraising or through pre-existing connections to wealthy donors, are viewed suspiciously within the movement.

Local groups have been left to literally pass hats seeking donations at their meetings or rely on their organizers’ bank accounts, while ssome national groups have failed to live up to their bold fundraising predictions.

“I don’t blame them, since most of these people are so new to the process and they don’t know anything beyond the protests, but, at the end of the day, the energy and the passion will only take you so far,” said Ned Ryun, president of American Majority, a non-profit group that teaches grassroots conservative activists how to influence the political process. “Without money, nothing quite works like it could.”


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40800.html#ixzz0w739RI3P

and

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Republican National Committee is entering the fall election season with dire financial problems and, to an unprecedented degree, will be forced to rely on outside groups to fund activities traditionally paid for by the national party.

While embattled RNC Chairman Michael Steele and a top aide sought to use the party’s summer meeting here to publicly put the best face on the cash shortage, senior Republicans expressed grave concern behind the scenes that their fundraising deficiencies may be the difference between a good election year and a great one.

With $11 million on hand at the end of June — and about $2 million in reported debt — the RNC’s paid get-out-the-vote (GOTV) effort will be limited to just targeted House races, POLITICO has learned.

And the committee is only going to be able to spend money on those relatively inexpensive House races, thanks to a $10 million line of credit that was approved at the meeting here. Until then, said one incredulous Republican, there was no money available for paid GOTV activities like mailers and automated phone calls.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40772.html#ixzz0w73wbi7Q


I suspect that institutional money is fed up with the RNC and the Boehner/McConnell show and are scared to death of the Tea Party's calls for a purging of moderated. While the fundies, have lost prestige and clout in the fundraising machinery as the Tea Party sucks up all the oxygen in the room.


Angry mobs are just that. There is no indication that the Tea Party is capable (without campaign professionals leading them) of doing any thing more than cannibalizing the Conservative vote, nominating, the unelectable and logjamming funds necessary to wage an effective nominee. That may be the movement's legacy. and campaign professions are not going to lend a hand because they want to be paid.


Without a top down credible agenda coming from the congressional republicans its is increasingly difficult to seen how they are going to flip wing districts in the next 90 days, because they are going to have to appeal to the Tea partyers for money and they can't do that without looking like Michelle Bachmannn is their leader.

Dems best strategy is to make the GOP look like loons thus making the debate about the Tea Party and not Obama.

[Perky]

1. shameless self kick

[Honeycombe8]

2. I've heard something about this only TWICE on the shows. It's a huge story, IMO.

With all the hype in the media about how well the Repubs are doing in the polls, how big the Tea Party has gotten and taken over the Repub Party, how they're going to maybe win back Congress (no doubt they'll do well, but that's history...the opposite party always does well in mid-term elections when one party controls both the W.H. and Congress)...

You would never guess that the wealthy Repub Party is having trouble with funding. But they are. Big trouble. While the Dems are getting funding fist over hand (or whatever that saying is).

I wonder why? The Tea Party doesn't do funding? The Tea Party isn't funding the Repub Party...only its own candidates who endorse the Tea Party? Are the Repubs waiting until the last minute to kick in the cash? This story absolutely blew me away...and few people know it, I'd guess, because it's not being reported on much.

[rasputin1952]

3. Since so much of the media is dedicated to the RW fringe...

I doubt they will report on this to a great extent. This will ensure the R's go nosediving right into negative ads etc...they might work to some degree, but most people really detest the negative ads.

The party of 'no' ideas, 'no' conscience...also has 'no' cash...pretty nice if you ask me...:D