Democrats Find Many Big Donors Cutting Support

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

Many wealthy Democratic patrons, who in the past have played major roles financing outside groups to help elect the party’s candidates, are largely sitting out these crucial midterm elections.

Democratic donors like George Soros, the bête noire of the right, and his fellow billionaire Peter B. Lewis, who each gave more than $20 million to Democratic-oriented groups in the 2004 election, appear to be holding back so far.

“Mr. Soros believes that he can be most effective by funding groups that promote progressive policy outcomes in areas such as health care, the environment and foreign policy,” said an adviser, Michael Vachon. “So he has opted to fund those activities.”

-----

The attention of Mr. Lewis, chairman of Progressive Insurance, also appears to be elsewhere this year. Jennifer Frutchy, who advises Mr. Lewis on his philanthropy, said he was focused at the moment on “building progressive infrastructure and marijuana reform.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/us/politics/30dems.html?_r=1&hp

[Arctic Dave]

1. What to say, what to say?

I know of a lot of campaigns that are groveling for contributions.

[Pirate Smile]

2. Dumb. Short-sighted. Having a government in power that supports his goals can be

much more effective in enacting and supporting those goals when in power.

[JDPriestly]

5. Obama has not made it clear enough that he supports progressive

goals. It is quite possible that he does. He sometimes talks as though he does. But he really has allowed himself to compromise too much. Sure, you have to accept the majority's rule in Congress -- but you can accept it without caving in to it. In other words, Obama is probably right to sign bills that accomplish less than progressives want but he needs to make it very clear that the bills are not what is best for American and that he knows it.

[Winterblues]

11. They have not demonstrated in the last few years they do support those goals.

I feel exactly the same way.. I will support projects with progressive goals long before I will support candidates with the only goal of getting re-elected..This is a good eye opener for Democrats...Don't support Democratic goals then fend for yourself..

[No Elephants]

26. Billionaires Soros and Lewis have no idea how to spend money effectively.

Personally, I wish they and their fellow rich Dems had used some bills to prevent or break the Republican monopoly of mass media, but its their money, not mine.

[EC]

3. Well, I for one think what they have decided to do could

be a lot of help also...we've been wondering where our corporate ads and think tanks are, well this sounds like them...we desperately need a progressive infrastructure ..

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Saving their pennies for 2012

If a teabagger gets elected in '12, the (faux) Mayan Prophecies will seem like snow flurries.

This is especially true if there's a Republican route in November; but I don't think it will happen.

--d!

[defendandprotect]

18. THIS might encourage more liberal/progressive Dems to step up in 2012 -- !!!

[No Elephants]

27. A Democratic President is more powerful and significant than a Democratic Congress?

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sherman A1]

7. That would include small donors as well

I certainly will not be giving anything.

[McCamy Taylor]

8. Screw the big donors. The rich only care about their money.

There should be a DSM IV diagnosis for "accumulating vast sums of money you can never spend."

[COLGATE4]

9. That's really discouraging. These guys can smell blood in the

water in November and are beginning to hedge their bets.

[QC]

10. You need to stop your fucking whining and hand over a few million!

How's that for a fund-raising strategy?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

24. LOL.

[Nihil]

25. Another poster who is in lock-step with the President eh?

:evilgrin:

[QC]

34. I'm auditioning for a strategy position in the White House.

Looks like I've got what it takes, don't you think?

[robdogbucky]

12. So, I wonder

what or whom the Clown Car Contingent will blame this on?

Are they going to condemn the large traditional donors, who by the content of this article are saying what most other pundits (female lefty bloggers/journalists included)have been saying lo these many months?

Do any of the CCC have the cojones to admit the errors in governing that are present? Will they continue to blame the messengers and cover their eyes and ears and yell "You are traitors, don't you know progress has been made?" "Don't you know you will be responsible when Rethugs are elected?" "Do you want teabaggers running the country?"

We are seeing the result of the strategy employed by our elected officials and their loyalists. What have the CCC to say about this? Oh, yeah, "Screw them and their money, we don't need them."

And what will they say to the little people, the netroots, the rest of us, you know, the party? Or what will become of the 50-state strategy now that they have tossed everyone overboard that helped this administration get elected? I can't wait to read what comes in on this thread. I have a more or less off day of rest today and have time to waste reading the drivel. This should be good, if it wasn't so tragic.

I am not happy about this. The failure to follow through with promised and/or desperately needed change and REAL PROGRESSIVE REFORMS is the reason for the lack of enthusiasm and support. This lack of enthusiasm and/or support spells doom in the face of the Orwellian right.

Will the CCC admit the truth and mend their ways in time to rescue what we thought we had achieved? Will they listen to the various elements of the coalition of disaffected groups that sent them to Washington, each of them screwed in a different way, that got them elected?

Now the cards are on the table. What will they do?


I am waiting.


For the record, I am originally from Madison. What took place there was encouraging, yet it was all campaign rhetoric. I have always voted Dem ticket. I will vote Dem ticket this November for the candidates I feel will implement REAL PROGRESSIVE REFORMS and will stand up to the teabaggers. As for 2012, I will wait to see what is offered. Fool me once, shame on you.





Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!




Just my dos centavos


robdogbucky

[robdogbucky]

14. Cricket time again

What's with the Clown Car? Run out of funny gas?

rdb

[defendandprotect]

17. They're going to say same old ... "Soros wants a pony, miracles, magic wand and ......

it's only been 18 months!!

And, further, we just don't understand what a threat Lieberman is .... !!!!

:)

[SarahB]

13. This is obviously because of all of the whining from the left.

:eyes:

[defendandprotect]

16. Great point ... !!!

It's not the failure to support liberal/progressive goals -- it's the whining about it!!

:)

[No Elephants]

28. Well put.

[defendandprotect]

15. Maybe that's the blow that might wake up Dems ... if they really want to win ... ????

[mainer]

19. Bloomberg explains it all

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/09/20/bloomberg_sensitive_billionaires

[No Elephants]

29. He speaks for Soros and Lewis? For big Dem donors in general?

[dflprincess]

20. Money talks n/t

[Zorra]

21. Blue dogs/conservadems chew another great big hole in the tent.

They really are destroying the Democratic party.

[oswaldactedalone]

22. Well, I don't have much

but I've anted up. You guys are cutting off your noses to spite your faces. Support Democrats with your time and some cash. I think you really don't realize just how ugly the Rethuglicans have become.

[No Elephants]

31. Everyone who sees it differently than you do is less insightful than you are.

[No Elephants]

33. I wish it were only Blue Dogs.

[Techn0Girl]

23. No one ever accused Soros of not knowing a good investment when he sees it

Heads up DLC.

[No Elephants]

30. Some on this thread have.

[No Elephants]

32. I will proudly donate to and work and vote for liberal Democrats.

I have not donated to the DNC since Obama called the public option a sliver and the public option did not find its way into a reconciliation bill, which needed only 50 Senators and Biden.

Have I had other beefs before and since? Yes, bui that was a turning point for me.


(R.I.P., Dave.)


Can I be turned back? Hell, yes. Indeed, I yearn to be. But--shock-- cursing and scolding liberals ain't gonna do it.