Has anyone here paid to see a Democrat?

[Lost-in-FL]

Dear DU,

Would you pay $200 to listen to a politician like Bill Clinton, Wesly Clark, Lieberman (I got ya!! That's a good one!!)... ok, serious now. John Edwards, etc. ?

How do you see this? Clark is going to Ft Lauderdale but it is $100 minimum to see him. Call me cheap, but that is a lot of money. We are trying to get money out of politics but only a few rich ones get to tell politicians what they would like accomplished. Last month Clinton came to FL, my hubby and I wanted to go see him but "no way" I was going to pay $200 each. If they are private functions, why send e-mails to broke asses like mine? Do they want to rub it against me that people going to these funtions are only the rich and famous?

Confused in Florida

[David Zephyr]

1. Perhaps you can volunteer the event.

When I was a young and starving Democrat and activist, I got into lots of fundraisers and events by volunteering to help out. In one case, I wound up with front row tickets in a box at the Hollywood Bowl at anti-nuclear event with Peter, Paul & Mary.

Today, I pay gladly to attend Democratic fundraisers...if I like the candidate.

Wes Clark is worth $100.

[MADem]

2. Because there may be a politician you do want to see, that is why they

send you those emails. And you'll scrape up the dough to do it if it's someone that really interests you. At least, that is what they hope.

Sometimes, you can call the organizers and let them know that you can't afford the price, but if they can knock it down to fifty or so, you can swing it. They'll call you, if they can't fill the hall...you may get a seat near the door, but what the hay....

$$$ in politics is and will continue to be a problem. There's no motivation to cut it out, especially since the Supremes say that money is speech.

I guess all the poor folk have had their tongues cut out by the Supremes, eh???

[SharonRB]

3. I saw Bernie Sanders a couple of weeks ago

There was no minimum contribution. I donated $25.

I've been working on Nancy Skinner's campaign and down the road there are going to be some expensive fundraisers. I'll be able to go as a volunteer. (And a couple of weeks ago she invited me to an event as her guest.) Volunteering is the way to go if you can. I couldn't afford $200 for an event -- even to see the Big Dawg, who I'd give my eye teeth to see.

[MrSlayer]

4. No but I would pay to see Clark.

He just never comes here.

[Auntie Bush]

12. Same here!

[JNelson6563]

5. They are just promoting the event

to every address that they have. They cannot know who on their list can or can't afford a $100 per person event. They invite everyone they can and, no doubt, hope you all will invite your friends too. They have to raise money aggressively in order to compete with the Rethugs. Their only opportunity to get such a high ticket price is when a big name comes to town.

Who is to benefit from the event you are talking about?

Julie

[Joe for Clark]

6. You are not confused at all.

I would pay to see General Clark, and that is about it.

And that has a lot more to do with history than politics.

It had better be that republicans pay for political "dinners" and not us.

We (Dems) better be following Dean's model if we want to win.

Great post!!!


Joe

[wakeme2008]

7. At one time I would have paid to see Bill Clinton but not these

days... Spent too much time with the Bushes...

[snowbear]

8. When General Clark came up here to Anchorage...

He did one event at the Hilton that was $100.00 donation to benefit (D) Tony Knowles.. (The cost included a fancy luncheon)

And he did 2 free picnics in the Anchorage area and one in the Matanuska Valley (about an hour north of Anchorage).. The one in the Valley was a breakfast with the Veteran's Association.

Every event was PACKED to complete capacity!!!!

I went to all of them except for the one out in the Valley.

I especially liked the one at the Hilton because people swarmed him so much at the picnics, it was hard to talk to him.

As he was wrapping up his speech @ the Hilton, I got up and made my way towards the stage so I could nab him and give him a huge (((HUG))) the second he stepped off the stage.

His sweet wife Gert just laughed.. (I guess she's used to it)

[Joe for Clark]

13. General Clark went to Alaska ( no offense) and not to the

San Fernando Valley - damn it!!

What was he thinking!!!

I am glad you got to see him, though.

Joe

[Lost-in-FL]

14. He used to be the European Theater / NATO Commander

when I was stationed in Germany back in 1999. I saw him there face to face and never would have imagine he was going into politics as a Democrat!! He was inspecting training with General Hugh Shelton (the Joint Chief of Staff during 9/11, Afghanistan and early Iraq) http://speakerseries.com/spk2003/shelton.htm

I can't believe it was him I saw as a 4 star General, less than 5 feet from me and I am very surprise to see how down to earth he is as a civilian.

[CarolNYC]

18. Hey, that's cool, Lost....

I bet Wes would love to find someone there who 'knew' him from 1999. He IS very down to earth. I've seen him at a number paid and unpaid events. Being in NYC, we volunteers on his campaign had a lot of opportunities to attend free appearances and work at paid ones. The first number of times I saw him, I just could not approach him to say more than "Thank you, General." Once I got over that hump though, goodness he's easy to talk to.

You should try the volunteer route if $100 is too steep....Or maybe you can get a reduced ticket or something.

I've paid to see a number of politicians....If the donation goes to someone or something I support, I figure it's worth it. It would be great if politicians didn't need money to run successfully but, unfortunately, we're not at that place right now. :(

If you end up going somehow, do tell us how it goes.

[Crunchy Frog]

15. Wow!

You're a much braver woman than I am. I was almost too scared to ask him to autograph my books for me.

A picture of one of the free events I went to.

[CarolNYC]

17. Oh but, Crunchy....

He is SO easy to talk to after you get over the first hurdle....He listens so intently and makes everything you tell him seem so important, you feel you can tell him anything....It's only later you walk away, shaking your head and saying to yourself, 'Oh my God, what the hell was I telling him that for?!" lol

[LincolnMcGrath]

9. Yes, all the time.

Can't have real reform, if Dems never get elected.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. The only Dem I've ever paid to see was Peter DeFazio (D-OR)

at his $35 pizza and beer fundraisers.

I attended some of Dennis Kucinich's events, but he always passed the hat AFTER he spoke.

[Crunchy Frog]

11. I donated $250.00 to Ken Salazar's campaign

just so I could attend a function which was attended by Wes Clark. (I don't even like Salazar, and supported his opponent for the nomination.)

I'm a bit of a fanatic though.

To be fair, I've had a few opportunities to see him for little or no money as well.

At least if you spend the money, you will know that it's going to a good cause, namely working on getting Democrats elected. This is the season when politicians are out hunting up money, and that's just the painful truth.

Hopefully you will eventually get lucky and some function will come up with somebody you want to see that will cost little or nothing to attend. It may not be till the end of the midterm elections though.

I would urge you to see Wes Clark if you can. He's very impressive.

[Nay]

16. I paid $50 each for me and a friend to hear Dean speak last year

in DC. It was worth every penny.

[MaineDem]

19. I assume this is a campaign fundraiser for someone?

You've received some good information in this thread.

Call the specific campaign and ask 1) if you can volunteer at the event or 2) say you'd like to go but can't afford $100 and negotiate a lower donation.

Donations are what make campaigns viable and these big-name events bring in the money. I prefer to see the campaigns do two separate events with the speakers - a big dollar event and then a smaller level one - but sometimes logistics won't allow that.

[Totally Committed]

20. First of all, let me say....

Wesley Clark is worth every penny of the $100 you'd pay to attend that event. The sheer length and breadth of what he knows and how he tells it all is astounding.

That having been said, paying to hear someone like Bill Clinton speak (on the lecture curcuit) is different than paying to hear him at a fund-raiser. I would pay a couple of hundred to a fund-raiser because the $$$ is for something other than for the person's own enrichment. I wouldn't pay that kind of $$$ just to hear Bill gas-bag for his own benefit, for sure.

I have paid, in the past, good money for fun-raisers for candidates I supported. Now that I live on a fixed income, I am not able to do that.

Just know where your money is going, and whether or not you support that, and whatever you pay, it'll be worth it.

TC