Can’t ever just sit around in the yard and talk about cool stuff, like plans and dreams, without having Mom stick her head out of the screen door and say, “That’s all very nice dear, now come in for your bath”?
Right now we have 13 presidential candidates, with varying histories and skill sets, the least of which is far superior to business fraud and sexual assault, all talking about different policies and visions for this country, and what does the media decide it wants to start talking about? Money.
And no, I’m not talking about the media discussing how the candidates are going to get the money from the federal treasury to pay for these policies and programs, I’m talking about the media talking about how these candidates are going to get the money to be elected president in the first place. In the last couple of days, the media has dipped their toes into this water a couple of times, trying to determine whether or not to go into full blown snit mode about it, and I want them to cut that shit out, right now.
Ayman Mohyeldin on MSNBC put it very specifically earlier today when he said, “President Trump has already raised $129 million for his reelection campaign. Are the Democrats going to have trouble trying to compete with that kind of fund raising, especially since so many candidates are turning away from large money donations and Super PAC’s?” There are so many reasons why this question is both premature and absurd, but I want to lead with the most obvious one, and we’ll go on from there.
Of the 13 officially declared Democratic candidates for president, the earliest of the “early birds” officially announced their candidacy about 8 weeks ago. President Gropey Feeley announced his 2020 reelection campaign something like 10 days after his inauguration! So, in 26 months, all the Pampers President has managed to vacuum from the suckers is $129 million? Sweet Jeebus, Beto freakin’ O’Roarke managed to pull in half that amount in less than a year for a freakin’ Senate race! And that’s just what he pulled in, what about how much he’s already yanked out! Things like legal fees for his numb nuts kid, and venues, security and jet fuel for his myriad of already convened “campaign events” that don’t qualify for federal compensation as part of his “official duties.”The only people in the country stupid enough to believe that a profligate wastrel like Trump is going to leave a $129 million pile of cash laying around collecting dust are the idiots who are giving it to him in the first place.
A couple of things to remember about money. For one thing, right now, Democratic and independent donations are being scattered into 13 different winds. If you want to see the intensity of Democratic donations, look at each of the 13 candidates fund raising on their quarterly statements, and then combine them into one lump sum. And then compare that with the amount that the Kitten Klub Kasanov a is bringing in.
Because, while there are 13 different Democratic candidates on the slate right now, with more likely on the way to the party, there is one central, overriding, unifying issue for Democratic voters and donors right now. Get Trump the FUCK outta there! As long as we don’t nominate Ted Cruz, the Democratic masses will unite behind pretty much anybody who will get Donald Trump out of the Oval Office, and into a criminal courtroom instead.
Now, a couple of things about money. First of all, don’t forget that in 2018, most Democratic first time challengers badly out raised their GOP incumbent opponents, sometimes by 3-4 to 1. GOP incumbents tend to depend on big money corporate and special interest donors, which they can tap out early, leaving only Super PAC’s as conduits for cash. Small money grassroots donors can be tapped repeatedly, and all of that money goes to the candidate directly, so that they can control its use, and the messaging that they buy with it. And this can be important because of the second reason.
The congressional campaign of 2018 showed clearly that Super PAC’s have their limitations. I saw this first hand here in Nevada. In 2018, Democratic candidates largely took the high road, ignoring attacks on their opponents personally, instead highlighting inspiring messages, and “kitchen table issues.” The candidate paid for advertising tended to mirror that messaging.
Supper PAC’s are by law barred for advocating for a specific candidate. Since they can’t be used to promote a positive achievement by linking it to a candidate by name, they must be used for “attack ads” instead. And in an era when nasty, negative, “politics as usual” was universally reviled, this restriction was deadly.
In 2018, GOP incumbents largely had to run and hide from their pathetic lack of accomplishments, leading to a paucity of candidate funded ads that weren’t attack ads. Here in Nevada, GOP Senator Dean Heller ran almost no ads at all. Which left the airwaves flooded with negative Super PAC ads, tying Jacky Rosen to Nancy Pelosi at the hip, which went over like a turkey at a vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Meanwhile, Rosen was running self positive ads about her stances as a member of congress, while balancing it with “Senator Spineless” ads that were brilliant.Danny Tarkanian ran one wishy-washy “family” ad, indicating that because he got married, and sired a couple of offspring, he deserved to go to Washington. Everything else was attack ads trying to fuse Susie Lee as Nancy Pelosi’s long lost twin sister. Susie Lee has an office in the capitol today.
So, please media. Comparing any one of 13 disparate Democratic candidates fund raising, or even that of the party, with that many individuals running at this pint, to a monolithic effort is both futile and misleading. Just like in 2018, 2020 is going to be an issues orientated campaign. And the overriding issue is going to be whether or not Donald Trump gets to run and hide from justice for another 4 years. And I don’t think that the Democrats are going to have any difficulties raising money off of that one.
Copies of President Evil, and the sequel, President Evil II, A Clodwork Orange are still sitting around collecting dust, and Amazon is starting to send me nasty e-mails. And what better time to get reacquainted with the roller coaster that was the 2016 election cycle than before the release of the final volume of the trilogy, President Evil III, All the Presidents Fen.
Cross posted on Politizoom.com
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