I, for one, am pissed at all the bitching about DSCC...

[brooklynite]

Let's be blunt, shall we? Many people here (as another OP points out) will proudly state that they don't contribute to DSCC. Well, -I- do, to the tune of five figures. As a result, I get to know the DSCC staff and the Senate leadership. And I have an understanding of their decision making process and their resources.

Right now, there are NINE Senate races that are arguably in play: Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana (Montana and West Virginia are lost causes; Michigan is a safe bet). DSCC's job is to get as many as the Democrats in those States elected as possible. And it does NOT have infinite funds to do so. So in the waning days of the campaign it has to decide where and how to spend its money.

Now, DSCC is not a bunch of idiots who can't evaluate a campaign's success; it's their JOB to get Democrats elected, so they hire people who are good at that. And their pulling ad buys doesn't mean they don't think Grimes can win; it means that, ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, there are places where DSCC's financial resources can be better placed. A dollar that goes into Kentucky is a dollar that doesn't go to possible pickups in Kansas and Georgia, or protecting our candidates in Louisiana or South Dakota. And I respect their ability to make hard decisions, because they've been making them for the 10 years I've been contributing.

For some people, it appears that it's more important to "send a message" by bashing Mitch McConnell. That might make you feel good, but if the end result is that we lose control of the Senate because the funds used to send that message weren't available for a more winnable seat, that's a price I'm not willing to pay.

It appears

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Three words:

Fifty. State. Strategy.

Why?

It's the only thing that's been demonstrated to work.

(Us Liberals are sticklers for evidence.)

Have your buddies pull Dr. Dean out from under the left ball joint next time, and get the thing done.

[Recursion]

13. You're seeing it. It's also not what people seem to think it is.

The Fifty State Strategy referred to the DNC supporting all 50 state parties with enough money to hire permanent employees. They still do that AFAIK.

You seem to be advocating a 1 state strategy, where any money that can be spent against Mitch McConnell should be.

[geek tragedy]

26. Two words: fuzzy math.

Dean did not dump a bunch of money on every Senate race. And Chuck Schumer is the one who engineered the Senate victories in 2006 and 2008, not Dean.

You also seem to lack familiarity with the concepts of scarcity and marginal return.

[csziggy]

2. They may have their strategy but their callers need some manners

The DSCC callers have been rude, obnoxious and argumentative every time they have called me. I have a very limited amount to donate and prefer to target it to candidates I select in my area. Whenever I explain this to the DSCC caller, they try to argue me into changing my decision, or try to cajole me into donating money to DSCC also, even when I've told them I have no more money to give.

NOT ONCE have I have a call from DSCC fund raisers where they just said "OK, thanks for supporting Democrat;s candidates." and closed the conversation on friendly terms. EVERY SINGLE time they have continued to argue until I hung up on them.

Once, I was so pissed I called the DSCC headquarters to complain about their caller and to request they remove me from their calling list. Not only have they not removed me, their callers remain as obnoxious as ever.

Their strategy may be good for their purposes, but their means really suck. If you have any influence over their leadership, tell them their fund raisers are alienating the Democratic base.

I don't refuse to donate to them because of who the DSCC are, I refuse to donate because the people raising money for them are assholes.

[jaysunb]

3. Grimes has over 8 million on hand....

the DSCC did the carpet bombing and now it's time to surgically attack on other fronts.

Some folks, just don't "get it."

[Raine1967]

4. This OP puts things into perspective for me.

I really appreciate it.

[Triana]

5. I understand it's important to donate. And I do (though not 5 figures)

But their chicken little "the sky is falling!" schtick is really hard to respond to - esp on the order of 40-60 emails a day from various candidates, the dscc and dccc. So yea I complain. And I donate what I can.

I don't doubt they are wisely using the money for electing the most Dems and that they know what they are doing in regards to their skills at it.

I don't doubt that all of us put together CAN NOT compete with the Kochs et al a al Citizens United (millions upon millions in dark corporate money)

If that is to change - and it should - then we must get more Dems elected (a LOT more) and keep a Dem President - so we can get RID of that Teabagger contingent on the USSC and get CU obliterated and the VRA restored. And it wouldn't hurt for Dem candidates themselves along with the DSCC and DCCC to get one HELL of a lot nastier about it - not with us piss-poor contributors giving our $5 and $10 here and there - but with Republicans and with the media. Being pantywaist chickenshit ninnies is NOT helping. Bernie Sanders (though not a Dem) and Elizabeth Warren raise Hell every day about this bullshit and more. The rest of them should be doing the same. That would undoubtedly result in - more donations - possibly without quite so much chicken little schtick.

And they ought to shove their stubborn pride and reinstate or somehow engage Howard Dean and his 50-state strategy - absolutely.

Just saying.

[randome]

36. Unsubscribe from the emails, put it on your calendar to donate occasionally.

Less hassle, more effect.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]If you don't give yourself the same benefit of a doubt you'd give anyone else, you're cheating someone.[/center][/font][hr]

[Triana]

39. Good suggestion. I will probably do that. n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. What you wanna bet the ones "bitching" have never given a dime to the DSCC, or DNC, or....

DCCC, et al? Just something else to bitch about. SSDD!

[KittyWampus]

29. the ones whinging probably don't give any TIME to party politics on a regular basis.

I put the qualifying "regular basis" cause I'm sure some of those whinging might make a few calls right before the election or put up a few signs. Maybe.

[zipplewrath]

35. I have

and more than a dime too.

But about the time the two congressional organizations got involved in primaries, I stopped. Really, the DNC shouldn't be particularly involved in primaries either, other than GOTV stuff. OFA and the POTUS should stay out of them too.

Really, at the end of the day I'll support the candidates that I support. The whole country would be better off if we all did that (and if citizens united didn't exist).

The congressional organizations (DCCC and DSCC) in the end are just "incumbent protection" organizations. Yes, they also work to get their leadership into the majority, but a big focus for them is that it be a majority composed of people who owe their elections to the leadership in the first place. If we all focused on who we want to win, leadership would have to work with the people we sent them.

The people who don't contribute to these outfits are right to do so, because as they demonstrate every year, these organizations would support the candidates the contributors want, they'll support the candidates that the leadership wants them to support. And you can see this every cycle when they pull out of the races that one most wants them to stay in. If they don', hey keep contributing. Otherwise one would be wise to contribute directly.

[progressoid]

7. Hmm, Iowa's not in play?

It's a closer race than AR, AK, NH, GA, LA, NC, KY...

[Drunken Irishman]

10. My guess is that it was an oversight leaving out Iowa on the OP's part.

[brooklynite]

43. Correct... it was late.

[joshcryer]

8. It's like Citizens United and Oligarchy United don't exist.

[BrotherIvan]

9. I'm glad you let us know you donate five figures

[Demit]

34. That was to show how the OP got access to the leadership.

I found that very illuminating as well.

[Drunken Irishman]

11. Not only that - but it's important Democrats keep as many Democratic seats as possible.

Not to sound dismissive here, but the Democrats don't need Kentucky. It'd be nice, especially to knock off Mitch McConnell - but it's not a must-win state to keep the senate.

[Union Scribe]

12. I'm glad to hear you're such a mover and shaker.

For, like, the fifth time in the last month.

[RandiFan1290]

14. OP loves to brag about their money on DU.

Ask him why he thinks a shooting in Texas was "an urban gang fight" just because a black guy was involved?
For some strange reason I couldn't get him to answer why he came to that extremely racist conclusion.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014378251

[cali]

15. constantly bragging. It's sad.

[Starry Messenger]

16. I'm glad you found another way to tell us you are wealthy.

The system works for you. How nice.

[QC]

18. That's one subject he never tires of discussing. n/t

[Starry Messenger]

20. I guess he can make up the shortfall then.

This was droll: "Now, DSCC is not a bunch of idiots who can't evaluate a campaign's success; it's their JOB to get Democrats elected, so they hire people who are good at that."

If they are so clever, they'd hire someone away from a successful fundraising campaign who could run their email strategy.

We are donating directly to candidates. We aren't funding the dim bulbs who are sending out e-blasts like Cialis ads.

[brooklynite]

44. DSCC has set new records for fundraising

and has been outraising the Republicans for months. Doesn't mean they have unlimited funds to spend.

[Starry Messenger]

46. I guess some more of your 1%er buds will have to dig deep then.

With 5 figures to fling around, you guys don't need the rest of us.

[brooklynite]

48. Long as you're not going to complain about how they spend the money you don't send them...

[Starry Messenger]

49. I'm not paying for shitty fundraising managers.

Our family sent money directly to candidates and will send some to candidates the DSCC isn't.

The DSCC is a fundraising organization. It is their responsibility to have effective strategies. It's a whole field, with people who are trained to analyse successes and failures.

If their entire strategy is this one, that is a problem they need to fix. You can email the leadership your thread here and show them how you helped out. Effective teamwork!

[bullwinkle428]

23. It's a relief to know I'm not the only one feeling fatigued by

his constant self-aggrandizement.

[TBF]

32. Yes, there have been a string of his

"look at how much money I have and you should be grateful" OPs.

A google search tells the tale.

FOS if you ask me.

[Starry Messenger]

47. We should email this thread to the DSCC and ask if this is part of the strategy.

I'd be fascinated to see their response.

[Renew Deal]

33. I was thinking the same thing

[Mister Nightowl]

17. It's called picking your targets

[Earth_First]

19. So in other words you feel that you're buying access...

Last edited Wed Oct 15, 2014, 07:23 AM - Edit history (1)

The very same access that is afforded to every citizen capable of having access to a telephone in order to speak directly with Congressional staffers.

Your opening statement is loaded with self-importance that your "five-figure" donations are granting you special access in Congressional offices...

What's for lunch?

[brooklynite]

42. I reference my -ACCESS- only to validate that I know what I'm talking about

I'd be happy to give up my access in favor of full publicly funded campaigns. In the absence of that, I'm going to do what I can with my resources, AND I'm going to expect the recipients of those resources to spend them wisely, not on emotional "feel good" efforts.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. All things being equal?

So 'all things being equal' is a laugh line deluxe. All things are not equal at all. I do not care for the rhetoric they use when begging for money. They are rude, ungrateful and there are many very worthy causes out there competing for my gift dollars. My gifts are gifts, not modes of exchange with my fellow fortunate few.
Do as you wish with your money. And others will do the same.

[JustAnotherGen]

22. I am too

But we bypassed the middle men this election and gave strictly to candidates we believe in.

We voted with our check book - and the vote was against the DSCC.


My own self interests outweigh that of the party leadership.

[bullwinkle428]

25. Woot! I do the very same thing.

[JustAnotherGen]

27. We have to

Not sure what state/district you are in - but I parted with the party 'leadership' and 'movers and shakers' after the Buono debacle. They didn't even try.

And I will always wonder what the end game is/was with Christie. <--- Like what exactly is the leadership's game with this guy? Is there some sort of back end deal if he were to ever god forbid become President?

It has created a level of distrust with me - and like the OP - other affluent Democratic party members out in the horse county.

And they aren't even smart enough to know that in the local elections in NJ - a lot of folks are running against Trenton - which ='s Republicans - and that message is touching on Republicans who may very well be voting for Dems in the Federal races.

The 'leadership' fund raisers - I don't doubt their insight in places that are 'battle ground states' - but in blue states under the boots of Republicans - they don't know jack shit. They are genuine federal bumbling idiots.

[bullwinkle428]

30. I'm in Iowa, so I'm happy to contribute to my incumbent Democratic congressman

along with Bruce Braley, who's running for the Senate seat in a battle with that psycho Joni Ernst. I'll also send money on occasion to candidates outside my state that impress me enough, like Elizabeth Warren, Alan Grayson, etc.

I'm sorry you live in such a messy (politically speaking) state as NJ. Christie really scares me as a presidential prospect, because he seems to be the one guy that could really knock down whoever the Democratic candidate might be. Of course, I'm not sure how he's going to make any headway in the primaries, so there's always that paradox to consider!

[KG]

24. I lulz'd

[KittyWampus]

28. Listen, a lot of DU'ers talk trash here on the internet but when it comes to party politics

just can't be bothered.

Party politics means being involved more than just a day here or there.

[TBF]

31. Wanna talk about Texas?

I bet you didn't send one penny of your "five figures" there.

[brooklynite]

41. ...and you'd be wrong.

I met with Wendy early this year and contributed early on to see if anything developed. It didn't, and I directed my funds to Carter (GA), Schauer (MI), Burke (WI), Crist (FL), Davis (KS), and Hatch (IA).

Any more stereotypes you'd like to throw out?

[aikoaiko]

37. Thank you, but I'm not sure this message will penetrate the tinfoil hats some folks wear.

And thank you for your generosity to the Democratic party.

[treestar]

38. Agreed. Some people here are not practical

And if in charge, would have Republicans in majorities everywhere due to their incompetence and refusal to deal with reality.

[Oilwellian]

40. Well, aren't you special

We would be so lost as a party, if not for your wealth and knowledge!

[morningfog]

45. If only everyone had your resources.

[hrmjustin]

50. They are not abandoning Grimes.

https://mobile.twitter.com/guycecil

Just signed a $300,000 wire for the KY Get Out The Vote operation for @AlisonForKY. That's an interesting view of "pulling out of the race"