Tom Steyer Has Too Much Money

[brooklynite]

Splinter:

Billionaire hedge funder Tom Steyer has been a major Democratic Party donor for many years. One thing that happens when you donate a lot of money to politicians is that they treat you like an important and smart person whose ideas are good. They do this because they want your money, but America’s billionaires are not exactly the most self-aware people, so they eventually conclude that it must be true: They must have good ideas.

Right now, Tom Steyer’s idea is that the best thing to do, politically speaking, with his money, right now, is to spend a lot of it—$20 million so far, which is more than the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which supports electing Democrats to state legislatures, has ever raised in an election cycle—on a nationwide television ad campaign about impeaching Trump.

The campaign has been a huge success, The Politico tells us today, at least by one metric: Steyer has collected a lot of email addresses.

...snip...

Incredible. For just $20 million, Steyer has collected nearly four million email addresses, simply by promising that the act of giving him your email address will, in some fashion, help make the impeachment of Donald Trump more likely, which is not true.

Whether or not you like the IDEA of Impeachment, Steyer's campaign won't cause it to be more likely or more successful. Meanwhile, conservative billionaires will continue to spend money on actually getting people elected nationwide at all levels.

[doc03]

1. Unless Democrats take control of the house and senate there is

zero chance Trump will ever get impeached.

[David__77]

2. I cant see how this activity of Steyers is harmful to Democrats.

...

[brooklynite]

3. How many political campaigns are going underfunded in favor of a vanity project?

[David__77]

14. That seems to suppose that the alternative is that he would fund them.

The alternative might, in fact, be that he keeps the money for himself.

It’s not as if he’s picking the pockets of political candidates.

[StevieM]

23. I hope you will be more supportive of his presidency. (eom)

[Blue_true]

4. The money could be better spent building up Democratic Committees across the country.

A donation of the maximum to a state and county DNC goes a long way toward election of solid Democrats to local, state and federal offices. That is how rightwing rich people got the country to where it is today.

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. I agree. $20 Million could go a long way in 2018

And there is no fucking way the current Senate would convict Trump of impeachment charges. Even if we pick up seats in 2018, it won't be enough to get the 2/3 majority impeachment requires.

[stuffmatters]

5. I find Steyer pretty craven obviously wants Feinstein's seat

And is building a mailing list @ $5/ pop by promising everyone that HE can buy them a pony.

Until there is an ironclad case against Trump there is no way any Repug Senators will vote him guilty in impeachment It takes 66 votes.

I can't say that his ads have hurt us tho. I think his antiTrump, antiRepug enablers and now anti Repugs Tax heist for the Morbidly Rich messages are very helpful attack ads. Even if Steyer sees himself as the self appointed billionaire solution.

[JI7]

7. I don't hear him making any promises. He just talks about what a shit pres trump is

And how he needs to go.

[stuffmatters]

13. I agree, I think his ads aid our side alot. But I'm keeping a wary eye on him.

[StevieM]

24. I don't think he is running for the Senate. I think he is running for the White House in 2020.

And he is very likely to get my vote.

[stuffmatters]

32. good point

[hueymahl]

35. I would love to see him take Feinstein's seat

Time for her to step aside.

[JI7]

6. I don't really see what the problem is

[FSogol]

9. Me either. In the past he has given money to candidates with good environmental records.

He was some of the major funding behind Martin O'Malley. He'll continue to fund environmental causes.

[Tarheel_Dem]

17. I'm confused as well. It's his money to spend as he sees fit. He isn't hurting us. n/t

[Squinch]

30. I think we should be cheerleading for him. He's getting out the message that Trump(R)

is impeachable. He's attaching the two words "Trump" and "impeachment" and that attachment is being seen by people who might not otherwise understand how bad Trump(R) is.

This is good messaging. This is the kind of thing we never do well. This is the kind of thing that worms into people's brains, deposits the phrase we want (Trump impeachment) and leaves it there.

Whoever wants to do anything like this should have our support.

[JI7]

33. a wealthy white guy who can tell the truth

taxing the wealthy didn't stop him from making his money. govt spending on poor and others who aren't wealthy did not stop him from being wealthy.

and being wealthy doesn't mean the only issues one can care about is their personal finances. you can care about others nad still be wealthy.

the problem is people like trump and the tax scam. people like paul ryan who have not been successful in private business want to blame the poor while the guy who actually became wealthy in his private life knows knows it's not the poor and others with less who are the problem.

we need more of this.

[Squinch]

34. .

[shraby]

8. I read his wiki page and he seems like a decent person.

He earned the money and if he wants to give it to the dems, so be it.

Beats the republicans taking all the big money.

[redstateblues]

11. Most likely, the 2018 elections will be a referendum on Impeachment

This Congress will not Impeach Trump under any circumstances. I'm glad he's speaking out.

[brooklynite]

29. In which case, well lose...

Only political activists are fixated on impeachment. The average voter ( even those who don’t like Trump) is more interested in having their personal problems addressed.

[Squinch]

12. Ah, yes. A Democrat is messaging effectively. We must shoot him down.

[beaglelover]

15. I support Tom Steyer and this campaign to impeach the chump!

[smirkymonkey]

16. A Democrat can never have too much money.

I really don't see the problem here.

[msongs]

18. buying democrats to promote him knowing impeachments not happening nt

[NCTraveler]

19. I dont see a problem.

It’s a positive.

[0rganism]

20. the email addresses don't make impeachment more likely, but the list DOES

by signing on these 4 million people are declaring themselves to be motivated proponents of Trump impeachment
which means Steyer has a high-quality list of potential Democratic donors for 2018 congressional races, which will very likely pull in more than $5 per address on average, as well as being potential GOTV activists across the country.
the DNC should be paying close attention to how Steyer did this and finding ways to hook his list up with Democratic candidates.

[newblewtoo]

26. Your post makes an interesting point

if he generates $5.00 per name for 4 million names he pays back his initial investment. Rich people never do anything for free. Color me skeptical until I know more.

[StevieM]

28. Some do. Some wealthy people, like Tom Steyer, are dedicated to combating climate change. (eom)

[mopinko]

21. cool story bro.

[bathroommonkey76]

22. Yeah

Steyer shouldn't be able to spend his money on something he's passionate about, right? #BlaHBlahBlahBlah

[StevieM]

25. I like Tom Steyer a lot but I admit that I am lukewarm on his latest ad.

I understand the need to condemn Donald Trump's efforts to derail an FBI investigation. But he shouldn't have shown a picture of James Comey, let alone one of him raising his hand to testify. That man is reprehensible.

[Raine]

27. Nothing but self promotion, impeachment is not going to happen

till the Dems are in control and his petition is doing nothing to help put them in. Would be more effective to use all that money to elect them instead of getting his own name out to run in future.

[Generic Brad]

31. Conservative billionaire spends liberally

Whipping up impeachment mania will fall flat until the depth and breadth of the GOP's treason is exposed. We're not there yet. I am afraid he is wasting his money.