I want to donate $$$ TO help DEMs but NOT thru DNC.

[Smarmie Doofus]

What's the best way?

I've already sent $$ directly to Feingold and Grayson. But there are a lot of others out there I'd like to help.

BUT... I'm NOT sending money to people who are anti-teacher union, pro-war, or anti-GLBT.

In short, I want to help the DEM wing of the DEM Party not the Gingrich/Duncan/Lieberman wing that seems to be currently calling the shots.

Any ideas?

[BzaDem]

1. It's really not possible to limit who you donate to in practice. Money is fungible.

If you send 100 to Feingold, then Feingold will need 100 less from the DNC, which means the DNC can spend 100 more on some other candidate.

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. Is that literally true? In other words....

... I help Feingold not one iota by sending him cash directly? I help only the party fundraising apparatus as a single inseparable entity??!

Will that also hold true if ... as suggested downthread... I donate thru a leftish entity like PDA or Move on?

[BzaDem]

12. If the DNC acts efficiently, it is true (assuming Feingold takes in less than the DNC wants spent).

If you donate to Move on, which then spends money on Feingold, that's less money the DNC needs to spend on Feingold and more money they can spend on someone else. So while your donation to Feingold increases the MINIMUM that could be spent on Feingold, it does not necessarily affect the MAXIMUM. For example, if Feingold gets 3 million on donations, and the DNC decides that the optimal amount is 4 million, any additional dollar that you give to Feingold is one less dollar they need to spend on Feingold (in theory). On the other hand, if Feingold gets 4 million dollars and the DNC's optimal amount for him is 2 million, then Feingold will still get the full 4 million (despite what the DNC wants), and any additional dollar to Feingold goes directly to Feingold and will not affect the DNC at all.

If the DNC does not act efficiently, and (for example) does not monitor what Move On is spending on Feingold, it might not make such a calculation.

I don't know for sure which is the case. My guess would be that the DNC wouldn't first dump a million into Feingold's race without first checking to see who else is spending in Feingold's race (and what other races need more money), but I have no firsthand knowledge to indicate this. There could also be some reason why the DNC wouldn't know how much other groups are spending, which would prevent it from making this calculation.

My broader point is that we really live in a party system. We do elect specific candidates, but that is somewhat of a ruse used to manipulate those who don't follow our political system as much. Democratic bills get passed when Democrats are in power, and Republican bills get passed when Republicans are in power. Blue dogs will peel off when they are not needed to pretend they are "independent," but they will do so much less when they are needed (see Healthcare).

Generally, the DNC supports progressive candidates when it believes that candidate can get elected in that district. It would not normally make sense to deny funds to blue dogs, since if the blue dogs lose, that's one more vote for John Boehner as speaker (and all the bills Republicans want to enact but would never be able to if Pelosi is speaker). It would only make sense to deny funds to blue dogs if more progressive candidates could be elected in the same district (and in a primary at that).

This is why the DNC tries to optimize its funding to elect the highest number of Democrats -- to maximize the probability that the gavel will be held by Pelosi, instead of Boehner. The composition of the Democratic caucus is really "baked in the cake" -- it is decided in advance by how progressive or conservative the electorate of each Democratic district is (which decides which candidates are electable). This is not something the DNC (or anyone else) can change on a dime just by switching in different candidates. The only way to change this is to change the opinion of the entire electorate, to allow more districts to become liberal enough to actually elect progressive candidates.

[Smarmie Doofus]

25. Thanks. That makes sense, Talk about complicated. However....

... I'm STILL not sending money to anyone who is pro-war, pro school privatization and/or anti GLBT.

That includes ( esp. the first two categories) a whole daisey-chain of DEM pols who consider themselves "progressive" , so this part of your rationale doesn't hold a great deal of significance for me:

>>>>Generally, the DNC supports progressive candidates when it believes that candidate can get elected in that district.>>>>>

I do understand that the DNC is the DNC and it's function is to elect the maximum #s of DEMs regardless of ideology.

That's important to me also... but it is not the ONLY consideration. Doesn't really matter to me if kids are dying in Iraq because of DEM or REP House members... it matters that the kids are dying.

So... I'm going to continue to try to to earmark my $$$.

But thanks for the thoughtful analysis. ( I'll actually have to reread it later to get the full sense of it... it's that well thought out.... so I may have more to say on the topic.)

[fadedrose]

2. Send to DFA

Democracy for America - Howard Dean's group. They support progressive candidates.

That's where I contribute monthly, although I occasionally send a few bucks when the White House asks nicely in emails....

[old mark]

4. DFA is a good organization, and you can always just send to individual candidates...

There are a few others, but they are on my other computer...


mark

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. I sort of washed all the progressive groups out of my email...

.... sometime back. i frankly got tired of the relentless fundraising year-in/year-out.

But there's too many deserving congressional candidates to really choose individuals.

I'll take a look at DFA. Any idea what DFA's attitude is toward Obama-cation? ( i.e break the unions and turn the schools over to "entrepreneurs".)

[old mark]

16. DFA is run by Howard Dean. His attitude is a great improvement over the

"party line"...


mark

[Smarmie Doofus]

8. What about the "fungibility" factor ( see reply #1) ?

Will DNC simply send *less* to candidates that get helped by DFA?

[fadedrose]

11. Not sure

DNC supported Blanche Lincoln, and I know, or at least I think, DFA wouldn't send her a dime, or if they did, I would be shocked...

Go here and read up:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/

They tell you which candidates they support. Maybe you can go to the candidates' websites and bypass DFA, but I like DFA. I still trust Howard Dean more than any politician alive today. His brother has a lot to do with running it - I think...

[old mark]

17. In many cases, DNC sends them nothing. The Democrat opposing John Boehner -

Justin Coussuole-stated on the Ed show last week that he gets NO national Democratic support because they believe he can't win. I donated directly to his campaign online this week.

The DNC supported Specter in the primary, as did the PA State Democratic Party. Sestak beat him anyway.

I don't know how they regulate their money because I don't contribute to them because I don't like them.

mark

[old mark]

19. Links to 2 other groups that I regularly support, with cash and in other ways...

Link: http://pol.moveon.org

and: www.actblue.com

I am sure some people will disagree with one or both of these groups, but I find both of them and DFA give me a great choice of avenuse to support the candidates that seem best for me. I also suppoer 2 PA state candidates, Harry Reid's campaign (Friends of Harry Reid) and Justin Coussoule in Ohio running against Boehner. I also supported several out of state Democrats in the primaries.

It can be done if you spend the time to do it.

mark

[Radical Activist]

18. But DFA will also support moderate and conservative Democrats

in some races. I'm not telling anyone not to donate, but we should be honest about that fact.

[midnight]

3. Thank you, Thank you, and thank you...... Did you check to see if Uppity Wisconsin, or

Firedoglake has something to contribute to for the DEMs....

[TheDebbieDee]

5. I'm with you.....I don't want one thin dime of my money to wind up in the

coffers of Sen. Blanche Lincoln or Sen. Mary Landrieu or Sen. Ben Nelson.

You're right to donate directly to the candidates of your choice!

[HuckleB]

7. I'll suggest Peter Defazio, who may not be perfect, but he rocks, and needs help.

[Bluenorthwest]

24. I second the suggestion of Peter DeFazio who faces the nutter

who was on Rachel's show last night. Peter is a good man, and an excellent member of Congress! Here is a link so you can inform yourself and then send money!
http://www.defazioforcongress.org/

[Cleita]

9. Most of the candidates have websites you can

donate directly through. You can look at what they stand for and then decide whether you want to give them money or not. It bypasses the DNC, DCCC, DSCC and the DLC who might give your money to some Republican Lite Dems that you don't want to support.

[iamthebandfanman]

13. go to ACTBLUE!!!!

http://www.actblue.com/

http://www.actblue.com/


http://www.actblue.com/


http://www.actblue.com/

[K8-EEE]

15. +1

Act Blue is THE BEST!!

[Jamastiene]

14. Elaine Marshall in NC could sure use it, I am sure.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/3512

It is a tight race.

[bvar22]

20. Progressive Democrats of America.

http://www.pdamerica.org/

If you Work for a Living do NOT send donations to the DCCC or the DSCC.
They WILL use your money against your own economic interests.

Like you, I have adopted a system where I send money ONLY to candidates that represent me, a Working Class American. When possible, I will attach the donation to a letter citing specific votes on certain issues, and if necessary, criticisms on specific votes.


"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone

[myrna minx]

21. Tarryl Clark is running against Michele Bachmann in Minnesota.

http://tarrylclark.com/

[JNelson6563]

22. I'd wager some local Dems could use the help

County and state level Dem campaign needs lots of help, why not choose them?

[lonestarnot]

23. It's certainly a dilemma.

Fungible factor pisses me off.