Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumButtigieg is right. There's nothing wrong with (all) large donations.
It depends on who gives the money and what they give it for. As Buttiegieg brilliantly pointed out, if Warren wrote him a big check, it would not be wrong. It would be a good thing for the Dem cause.
I see nothing inherently wrong with a Dem giving speeches for big money before crowds of rich people. There's nothing inherently wrong with a pro-Dem PAC taking in piles of million dollar checks. I don't care how many or how often. I don't care if a candidate has a private meeting with a hundred ten-million dollar Dem "bundlers." My default assumption is that the money's going to a good cause. In other words, absent proof of any corruption, Dems taking money is a good thing. We need to stop being so self-destructively, reflexively squeamish about donations to Dems. That's what Republicans want us to do.
What about "getting the money out of politics?" Sure, that would get a lot of corruption out of politics, but nearly all of it would be coming out of Republican politics. That's where the corruption is. Get rid of all of the money, and you get rid of Republican corrupt money along with non-corrupt Dem money. That's fine. But until we get rid of money in politics, Dems need to have it too. Anything else is unilateral surrender by the good guys.
I'm frankly sick and tired of any Dem, under any circumstances, implying the existence of any money corruption whatsoever associated with any other Dem. If I never hear it again, it will be too soon. It's essentially always just a groundless cheap shot masquerading as ethics. If some illiberal, anti-Progressive "quid pro quo" strings are conclusively, provably found to be attached to specific money, speak up about it, by all means. Otherwise, no Dem should ever trust anyone pushing unfounded suspicions about other Dems.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JoeOtterbein
(7,697 posts)....I got a few big bucks too when I'm behind.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Cha
(295,899 posts)purity money trips.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
dsp3000
(468 posts)Do you think trump is only going to take small donations?
GET REAL. these purity tests need to die NOW.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
forgotmylogin
(7,496 posts)...favoring large donors over small ones. That's how people get out of touch.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
unitedwethrive
(1,997 posts)The presence of large money donations does not in itself cause corruption. It is up to the voter to judge the character of a candidate, and how they will deal with such issues.
The Republicans have many, many large donors, and in order to keep up, we need to as well.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
boomer_wv
(673 posts)Instead of demanding that candidates refuse to take money from large donors, let's vote for candidates that we trust to take large donations and not be corrupt.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BootinUp
(46,924 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Bettie
(15,995 posts)without expecting a return on their investments.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
question everything
(47,263 posts)And transferred all to her current campaign.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hav
(5,969 posts)can only donate the allowed maximum. It's just easier for them to part with what is nothing for them.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Raine
(30,540 posts)not a donation and they certainly expect a return on that investment..
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Hav
(5,969 posts)For example, what kind of influence do they get for the 900$ that Pete got attacked for?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Donors don't find unsuspecting politicians, give them money, and then expect to change the politicians' minds about things.
Donors find politicians who already agree with them, and give them money with which they buy ads to change our minds about things. The target of money in politics isn't politicians; it's us.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Fiendish Thingy
(15,361 posts)Investment bankers are a good example, often switching support between Republicans and Democrats- that's definitely not because they find candidates who already agree with them, but seek those who will grant them the most access and influence, and who are the most likely to win that cycle.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)that the candidate represents what they believe, even those who contribute a few dollars on Act Blue. It breaks down when people set contributions as the sole measure of a candidate or purity tests as being the only criteria for support. Look at the effects of Grover Norquist's and the Club for Growth's no tax pledges on the Republican party. I don't think unilaterally disarming ahead of the general election coming up or insisting on ideological purity are productive.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
evertonfc
(1,713 posts)You need cash to beat Trump. He had 250 million in hand. Who gives a shit who gives you cash. A ridiculous argument after Citizens United.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Those are two totally separate questions.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Fiendish Thingy
(15,361 posts)It defined money as speech that can't be limited, and opened the floodgates for "uncoordinated " (wink, wink) fundraising.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Speechnow was what allowed the formation of independent expenditures-only PACs (first created, interestingly, by the AFL-CIO). These can take corporate money and cannot donate to or coordinate with election campaigns.
Citizens United said that an individual can buy advertisements for a media piece about a candidate as long as they don't do so in coordination with any campaign.
Dark money has existed since the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act, though I suppose before that all money was "dark".
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Fiendish Thingy
(15,361 posts)Dark Money exploded after Citizens United.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Recursion
(56,582 posts)It's been allowed since the 1970s (though SCOTUS thankfully closed a big loophole last year), and it has grown at about the same speed campaign spending in general has since then, which is mostly pegged to the price of television time.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Fiendish Thingy
(15,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Dustlawyer
(10,493 posts)Once we have the power, then we need to get rid of donations altogether and have publicly funded elections.
As long as it is legal to donate the money the quid pro quos kick in after the victory. Special interests control our government. How many Wall Street bankers were jailed In the 2008 crash?They dont own them all, but then again, they dont have to.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Fiendish Thingy
(15,361 posts)Which were made possible by citizens United. There were several references made to the individual max contribution of $2800, but of course that's not the real problem. The Koch brothers and De Voss family and the Mercers all give millions - nobody talked about that, and that's really the issue.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
David__77
(23,214 posts)I also think that talking about it so clearly sets up those defending the practice of expensive meet and greets to potentially be considered as corrupt or elitist.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Gothmog
(143,998 posts)I am also on the dialing for dollar list being used by several candidates and the DNC. It is part of the process.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden