freespeech- Yes We CAN Win Without Billionaires: Bernie Sanders’ Stunning $33 Million Haul Proves It

[Attorney in Texas]

link to some great analysis; excerpt:

Bernie Sanders Campaign sets political fundraising record with $33 million in small contributions.

Tired of Big Money in politics? The Bernie Sanders Campaign raked in a staggering $33 million for the last quarter of 2016: This comes just $4 million short of the $37 million Hillary Clinton's political fundraising juggernaut raised in the same time period, and it all came from ordinary people like us making modest donations. For the

On Saturday Jeff Weaver, manager for the Bernie Sanders Campaign, told CBS this bucks the outsized influence of Big Money in politics that set in after the Supreme Court's fateful ruling on Citizens United vs. FEC opened the floodgates to unlimited paid "free speech" back in 2010.

"This people-powered campaign is revolutionizing American politics. What we are showing is that we can run a strong, national campaign without a super PAC and without depending on millionaires and billionaires for their support."

In a triumph of political fundraising, the Bernie Sanders campaign received record-breaking 2.5 million donations from over one million people. The average contribution to Sanders for the last fiscal quarter of 2015 came to a modest $27.16. Compare and contrast that with an October report from The New York Times, which revealed an alarming fact: Over half the political spending on 2016 presidential primaries for both parties - $176 million - came from just 158 well-heeled, mostly white families and the corporations they run.

Take that Citizens United!

[azmom]

1. We are doing it!!

[bigdarryl]

2. To be honest unfortunately most people could care less about the money in politics

[Punkingal]

5. Did you read the article?

"A recent poll by Bloomberg Politics reveals that 79 percent of Americans want Citizens United overturned. This includes 83 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of Republicans."

[jwirr]

12. Sure as long as you liked the 2008 bailout and all the social

program cuts we have had since raygun took the bankers money and ran with it.

You must be setting pretty well to think we do not hate the banksters and the corporations.

[Go Vols]

3. Yes

[WillyT]

4. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[apnu]

6. While nice a full Presidential campaign will cost somewhere around $500 million dollars today.

That does not count this current primary season.

That's the sad fact of life thanks to the SCOTUS.

[jwirr]

13. This has been called an anti-establishment year. That means

that the big donors are not seen in a good light. So for the candidate who takes their money (especially one who has a history of doing so) people will be see it as bought and paid for.

[apnu]

18. I certainly hope younare right (nt)

[jwirr]

22. Exactly.

[mythology]

7. Except this underestimates the money Clinton raised

It leaves out the 18 million she raised for the party. That money grows the party which matters for boosting turn out.

It also ignores the role of super pacs. Outside super pacs spent 600,000,000 in 2012. You can think think super pacs suck, but as long as they are legal refusing to use them is disarming.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Bernie's message, should he be the nominee, will do more to grow the party than Hillary's money.

With the vast majority of his donors contributing an average of $27 there is also plenty of upside.

Bernie's funds have virtually all come via the Internet with him holding very few fund raisers.

The Internet is slowly changing the dynamics of money in politics, that's why the Republican dominated Supreme Court passed Citizens United in the first place, they had to stack the deck as much as they could before authoritarian, one way, top down television lost its grip on the people.

We're not there yet, the corporate media television conglomerates still wield great persuasive powers over the American People but times are changing as viewership of T.V. continues to decline and the Internet grows in influence.

A Bernie nomination against such odds including the national network prime time news blackout of him will shock and excite the electorate all the more, the people and powers that be will see the writing on the wall with crystal clear clarity and political change will be rapid.

Furthermore, Schultz has exhibited very little interest and/or ability in growing the party, keeping the debates to woefully low numbers and scheduled for ridiculous times, the last one coming after a slew of states have already voted.

Those nationally televised debates are a golden opportunity for the Democratic Party to via the Presidential Candidates to exhibit for the American People what it stands for and Schultz has squandered it.

Schultz's cynical manipulations don't help one bit and her track record in growing the party is abysmal.

[madokie]

15. Keep on thinking that

and you won't get anywhere. There's times in our lives where one has to take a stand. The way things are in this country today isn't the way for us to have a good future by any stretch. Your message is an example of why we're still here where we're at and as long as enough people look at it the same way as you said you do here in what you just typed we have no chance in changing things for the better.

[Attorney in Texas]

19. Please "unskew" the fundraising totals for us ! LOL!

[jmowreader]

8. Which is about half a day's worth of TV advertising

[Uncle Joe]

9. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Attorney in Texas.

[hopemountain]

11. 73 million, total raised since last spring

go bernie! at the end of this month i am doubling my contribution to his campaign.

[madokie]

14. We can do this

I'm sick of the way things have been going for most of my adult life, (67YO.) I see Bernie as our best chance of coming out of this with our shirts on our backs.

[AzDar]

16. Funded by The People to serve The People. Others are funded by Wall st to serve Wall st.

[ChiciB1]

17. We Have To Keep Fighting! n/t

[sabrina 1]

20. He is amazing, isn't he? I used to dream about a candidate who would refuse Corporate Money, but

never expected to see.

Bernie has exposed the lies we were constantly told when we objected to OUR PARTY taking those Corporate Bribes, 'but we can't run a campaign without that money'.

Well, forget that lie. From being a total unknown to now in just a few months, a serious challenger, feared by the Corporate bosses, to the Status Quo, Corporate Funded Politicians we are all so sick and tired of.

He has exposed the lies simply by depending on the PEOPLE rather than the corporations.

Go Bernie!

[senz]

21. Thanks for the good news, AiT.

Makes me happy to see it. Let's all keep giving what we can for just a few more months. And then, of course, the GE.

A better future for all!