How much money are you giving to candidates in 2006?

[undeterred]

[undeterred]

1. kick!

[undeterred]

2. yikes! I thought people here would be giving more...

[Tesha]

14. DUers mostly talk. Actually doing anything is too much trouble.

DUers mostly talk. Actually doing anything (going to
an antiware rally, going to a protest of a Republican
politician, handing out literature, giving money,
etc.) is too much trouble for most (note: not "all")
DUers.

Tesha

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. So you PERSONALLY KNOW most DUers? Based on a DU poll, you

come to the conclusion that most DUer are all talk no action? :wow:

[Tesha]

28. No, I come to this conclusion by...

No, I come to this conclusion by watching years of
folks posting requests for people to take action,
or reports of actions that they have attended.

A shocking number of DUers not only won't take
action, but they actively put down the people who
will/who did.

ALl you need to do to confirm this is to look
farther down this thread, but there are plenty of
other threads you can poll from time-to-time.

Tesha

[Le Taz Hot]

36. Now THERE'S a stupid statement.

Met all of us have you? Have a detailed history of ALL of our activities? I find that most DUers are VERY active. Just because many may not be able to AFFORD to give to a political campaign doesn't mean they're not out there working the pavement.

I'm not giving to any local campaigns because of my choices: 1) Angelides WILL lose to Arnie (sorry, but it's the ugly truth) and I can't see putting what precious little monetary resources I have to a futile gubanatorial campaign, 2) Feinstien I'm not even voting for, much less contributing to her campaign-let her get her money from her DLC-masters and 3) TJ "lets leave gay marriage up to the states" Cox, our sacrafice candidate for CA-19. I don't think so.

[Tesha]

37. No. A stupid statement is claiming one has to meet every DUer...

No. A stupid (or at least ignorant and uninformed) statement
is claiming that one has to meet every DUer to draw a
statistically-valid conclusion about how much DUers, on
average, do or don't do.

One need only meet a sufficiently large random cross-section
of DUers, and in years of being here, and reading postings,
and specifically setting out to meet DUers at "actions", I
think I'm starting to have a statiscally valid data set with
which to draw my conclusions:

While there clearly are exceptions, on average, DUers talk a
big game but do very little besides talk. (They also get "put
out" when you call them on this. ;) )

Tesha

[Le Taz Hot]

41. Your premis is correct; however, your method is flawed.

You have not conducted a scientific, statistically-sound study in order to come to your conclusion so I have no other choice than to assume this is your opinion -- which is fine, just don't present it as fact.

[Tesha]

39. Okay, you don't like your local campaigns. So...

> I'm not giving to any local campaigns because of my choices:
> 1) Angelides WILL lose to Arnie (sorry, but it's the ugly
> truth) and I can't see putting what precious little monetary
> resources I have to a futile gubanatorial campaign, 2) Feinstien
> I'm not even voting for, much less contributing to her campaign-
> let her get her money from her DLC-masters and 3) TJ "lets leave
> gay marriage up to the states" Cox, our sacrafice candidate for
> CA-19. I don't think so.

Okay, you don't like your local campaigns. So:

o Send some money to Ned Lamont (running for US Senate from CT). Send $10. Send anything.

o Send some money to Bernie Sanders (running for US Senate from VT).

o Send some money to Duval Patrick, (running for Governor of MA).

o Send money or volunteer for:

+ The NRDC
+ Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres
+ The ACLU
+ Planned Parenthood

o Attend a peace action

o *ORGANIZE* a peace action

o Blog your nearest highway overpass

There are a ton of things you can do, even if you don't like your
choices in your local political races.

Tesha

[Le Taz Hot]

42. You know,

that barking orders thing you do? I think it's just precious. :eyes:

[Tesha]

43. Face it: you're just not willing to do anything and...

Face it: you're just not willing to do anything and:

1) You're feeling guilty about it, and

2) Casting about for someone else to blame it on.

Tesha

[BlooInBloo]

29. The notion that the ONLY way to recognize a trend...

... is to ask each element of the trend is asinine.

Note: I have no idea whether or not the other person is correct or not (don't even care, actually). But your standard of evidence is just plain silly.

[Tesha]

38. Thank you. (NT)

[SammyWinstonJack]

44. Your standard is just plain silly as evident by the reply in this thread.

:shrug:

[EFerrari]

33. Oh, that's not fair.

:)

[FILAM23]

3. I voted other,

as I will be giving $0 even though I can afford it.
I have never donated to a political candidate/party
and never will.

[OzarkDem]

5. That's a shame

it must be difficult to feel so disengaged from the democratic process.

[FILAM23]

11. Not disengaged at all,

I would much rather give my time then money.
And besides I think all politicians are crooks,
elections are never about the better man, it is
about the lesser of 2 evils.

[undeterred]

18. Wow. None of the people I am helping have ever been elected.

Does the mere fact of being willing to run for public office make someone "evil" or a "criminal"?
That's what I call stinkin' thinkin.

The people I am helping are honest, ethical, decent people and I don't expect that will change if they are elected.

[warrens]

20. Obama is a crook? Duckworth is a crook? Durbin is a crook?

You really should listen to more Rush. That's what the right wing wants you to believe.

[BlooInBloo]

30. Don't bother with the incurably pessimistic whiners.

[undeterred]

31. I don't know why they bother coming here.

[BlooInBloo]

32. My guess: to lord their self-perceived superiority....

... over everyone else - as opposed to all of the "suckers" who think that things actually can get better, and that politicians can be better, and that we can encourage such.

The incurably pessimistic whiner doesn't get any enjoyment out of sitting at home stewing, so s/he comes to places like this, to try to slap us upside the head with his/her "I refuse to be taken in, like you naive fools - mwahhawhaw!" rants. This gives him/her a vested interest in maintaining his/her *incurable* status - for if such a person were to ever be cured of their pessimism, they would have no grounds for feeling superior to us - hence they HAVE to be uncurably pessimistic.

This superiority is all in their own minds, of course. It's actually a very servile thing to not be able to imagine anything better - a hallmark of republicans, interestingly enough. It takes guts, entreprenurial spirit, and the like, to dare to want better. The incurably pessimistic have the concept of "superiority" completely backwards - I suspect it's their defense mechanism, covering up their own craven cowardliness.

Just a guess though - and naturally I'm not talking about any specific people.

[undeterred]

35. there are a lot of people with "purity" issues

who don't want to contaminate themselves in the dirty world of electoral politics. Yes, there is some bad stuff going on. But guess what, there are some wonderful people running for office this year and its a real shame that more people don't get out there and support them. My first year on the campaign trail has been full of wonderful surprises. Incredibly smart ethical people who are willing to run for office at the cost of great personal sacrifice.

They do not deserve to be tarred with the broad brush usually used for career politicians.

[FILAM23]

45. Once elected

they become as crooked as anyother politician.

[undeterred]

54. And if I name examples of non-corrupt politicians

you will still believe what you want to believe, because you are committed to hopelessness.

[FILAM23]

46. Obama probably not but he is fairly new to politics

just give him a chance

[undeterred]

6. Why?

I consider giving to a candidate to be a very different thing than giving to a party.

I am contributing to a congressional candidate and an assembly seat candidate, both of whom are much better than the person now in that seat.

Why wouldn't anyone do this (unless they can't afford it) baffles me. Do you think the political situation is fine as it is?

[Change has come]

47. How is that working out for you? n/t

[OzarkDem]

4. I'll charge it to my credit card if I have to

we have to give all we can to these races to take Congress back.

I've given close to $1,000 so far and plan on giving a few hundred more. I'm not wealthy either, but I'm giving to 2006 candidates who have a good chance of winning and need support at both the federal and state level. I figure its going to be an investment that pays off in future dividends.

For those of you living in Ohio - you get a tax credit (not just a deduction) for donating money to candidates for state representative and state senate. Get busy and send your Dem candidates a donation!

[undeterred]

8. good for you!

[Sammy Pepys]

7. zero...n/t

....

[Critters2]

9. Not much

I'm supporting my disabled brother who can't find a job.

[undeterred]

10. If we don't support change, who will?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. We don't give money to politicians or other criminals.

“America is a nation without a distinct criminal class...with the possible exception of Congress." - Mark Twain

[undeterred]

13. OK, so how do we change America without electing

better people?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Giving money to people who actually do something makes change.

Throwing money at well-heeled politicians on the take, doesn't.

We contribute a lot of money to charities and causes, Amnesty International, Oxfam, Medicins sans Frontiers, Planned Parenthood. Which accomplish more for real people than any pack of politicians who get their dough from the corporations and are indebted to same.

[undeterred]

22. Politicians VOTE on policy which shapes our country.

All of those organizations work to some degree by trying to influence our elected officials. They are powerless to change policy on their own.

To work only on issues, as if they existed in a vacuum of purity, is hopelessly naive. Planned Parenthood cannot stop the Supreme Court from overturning Roe v Wade.

Half of our effort needs to go towards electing responsible people who are true representatives of the American people. If you don't know of any, open your eyes. None of the people I am working for gets a dime from corporations. Its totally grassroots support. The left needs to wake up and get involved in electoral politics instead of just issue activism.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

24. Politicians vote to appease those who vote for them or give $$$.

Or, more succinctly, to get and keep their seats at the trough. That some politicians aren't "as bad" as others is why I vote. They can make a living on their own.

[undeterred]

25. Candidates raise support because if costs a fortune

to run a campaign. They can't hold down a job and run for office at the same time. A first class piece of mail costs about $1 to create and mail. There are 250,000 households in a district. And buying television advertising costs a ton. I don't feel cynical about my representatives, at least not all of them.

[OzarkDem]

49. "Well heeled politicians?"

Tell that to your average Dem state senator or state representative who makes about $40,000 a year and has raise half a million to run for re-election every 2-4 yrs.

I'll be honest, I've been asked to run for public office several times and turned it down. Its too damn expensive.

[SCDem]

15. I'll give only up to about $200 this year

But I am organizing GOTV workshops and initiating precinct walking and doing a lot more for our local party. Also I am giving directly to the candidates - not that I have a problem with the DNC because I love Dean but I'm only able to give small amounts so I give them directly to the candidates.

[undeterred]

17. fantastic

I am giving around $500 to candidates but I started giving in March so its spread out over many months. I don't like to think about how much I am spending on gas, but its a lot. I am bringing volunteers over to another Congressional district- involves 100 mi of driving - and that costs. I have some super volunteers who are able to spend a lot on gas, so they are contributing in that way.

GOTV is super important. I'm taking off work from Nov 3-7!

[EFerrari]

34. Pretty much same here. And I'm concentrating much more

on local candidates than I have in the past. Wish it could be more but elbow grease has value as well.

[OzarkDem]

50. That's good, too

For years when I we were getting by on one income, I did a lot of volunteering to make up for meager donations. Its just as important and usually very much appreciated.

[Atman]

21. Not one thin dime. Every one of them are already rich bastards.

That's all they're in it for, anyway. Cash. They can have barbecues with their rich buddies and pass checks back and forth to each other. It is obscene for these multimillionaires to be asking people to send them cash for something most of them could clearly buy on their own.

[undeterred]

23. You are so wrong.

My candidate, Bryan Kennedy, is a young college professor. He is not from a wealthy family and he does not have a career which makes him wealthy. More than 90% of his contributions are for less than $100 and come from ordinary people. He is an articulate, ethical, wonderful person who is trying to defeat James Sensenbrenner.

But no, according to you, he's working 12 hour days knocking on doors in his district for the money.

[Atman]

26. I was waiting for that.

You really didn't have to get snarky. The "But nooooooooo...." wasn't at all necessary. Here is the deal. Despite my "not one thin dime" comment, I really do have some exceptions. First of all, Bryan Kennedy sounds like one of them. He is a grass-roots local guy, apparently (if all that is true) and he is taking on a monied, corporate-sponsored, Good Ol Boy slime ball. Go, Bryan, go. I would donate to a campaign like that IF the contributions were, in fact, from the people and -- here's the big IF -- IF he pledged not to take one stinking rotten penny from any lobbyists or PACS. Then I'd at least feel better that perhaps my money would help represent ME and MY interests. Otherwise, lots and lots of little $20 and $50 contributions may give one the warm and fuzzies, but those twenties quickly wind up being used to light expensive Cuban cigars once the big corporations come along and trump you.

[undeterred]

27. He's already made that pledge.

[OzarkDem]

51. See my post above

A few are wealthy, most are not. Most sacrifice a great deal to serve in public office. GOP'ers are different, they have a great money laundering machine that fills the pockets of even the lowest elected official, not so Dems.

[Philosoraptor]

40. None. Why should I?

why should I write to them? Why should I vote for or financially support them? What hav they done for me lately besides kiss w's royal ass?

[OzarkDem]

52. Lumping all of them together?

I'm surprised you would think that way.

[pinto]

48. Other: many DUers may be supporting Dem candidates with their time

working on a national/state/local campaign, working the GOTV effort come election week, etc.

It all helps.

[Change has come]

53. I'm hoping to give at least $200

I donated to Lamont before the Conn. primary and plan to send another bit in a few weeks.

[upi402]

55. I think I gave all I am going to

I like your screen name OP, but I *am* deterred. Everyone I give to quits and supports the duopoly power structure or betrays democracy in some spineless way.

Maybe I'll just give to the Black Caucus or Feingold or something. Maybe Hackett needs some dosh...

Hell, maybe I'll just buy gold again.

[undeterred]

56. I chose my screen name because it gives me something to live up to

but believe me, I understand why people are cynical and feel hopeless about the political system. I lived in Chicago for 19 years and never even stuck my toe in the political water.

My candidate has exceeded my expectations in every way - maybe because he looks up to Feingold, who is one of the few who hasn't sold his soul. When the Dems take back the House, John Conyers will be head of the judiciary committee, and Sensenbrenner will be in retirement, since Bryan Kennedy will have his seat... the troops will come home, impeachment proceedings will begin...

Don't give up. :hug: