A complaint about fundraising..open for discussion..??

[Stuart G]

It is April 2017. ..The next congressional election is about 18 months away, and I have received fundraising requests from at least 4 senators who are running in 2018. I do try to help as best I can, and I recall sending Russ Feingold ..money 11 months in advance..because I really wanted him to beat his opponent and regain that seat...but that was unusual for me. Warren has sent me 3 requests. Not one, but three.
...All of them say about the same..send money now so I can stand up to the the lies that are currently being sent out about me.. I need to oppose these lies now to remain competitive in the race...etc, etc. etc. The other side has got so much money, we need to oppose them now........etc, etc. etc.

Kind of sad..that kind of stuff 18 months away. And..in spite of contributions to Russ, repeatedly..after that first one..he still lost..?? What use is sending in money this early???

[PdxSean]

1. Beggars beg. Early donations are MUCH more valuable.

Once you donate, the begging doesn't stop until you request to be removed from the list. You'll still get random requests.

Early donations are extremely valuable to campaigns. Successful campaign fundraising suggests momentum and community support. "Look, people like us! You should too." Early donations allow the campaigns to make earlier ad buys at much cheaper rates. Of course, early donations are also used for fundraising.

P.S. Early donors are more likely to be "heard" by the candidate when the donor raises concerns about the campaign, a platform, or whatnot. Donate $500 or more and chances are pretty good that the CANDIDATE will make the next fundraising call to you.

P.P.S. In the worst of political times (like now), it feels pretty good to make a donation of $100 or $50 or even $20 to a couple of campaigns that give you hope. I'm not a marcher, but I promptly donate to democratic candidates who are about fighting, not just speechifying outrage.