Ever wonder why you receive endless email and snail mail asking for money for Democrats?

[AverageOldGuy]

I do. Day in, day out, mostly email, begging for a donation.

There's a long article on the Lawyers, Guns, and Money blog that describes the PAC that serves as the mothership for DNC PACs. This is the conclusion of the article. IF this is true . . . . well, read the article.

After subtracting these massive operational costs—the payments to Mothership, the fees for texting services, the cost of digital ads and list rentals—the final sum delivered to candidates and committees is vanishingly small. My analysis of the network’s FEC disbursements reveals that, at most, $11 million of the $678 million raised from individuals has made its way to candidates, campaigns, or the national party committees.

But here’s the number that should end all debate:

This represents a fundraising efficiency rate of just 1.6 percent.

Here’s what that number means: for every dollar a grandmother in Iowa donates believing she’s saving democracy, 98 cents goes to consultants and operational costs. Just pennies reach actual campaigns

And why would the Democratic party “leadership” tolerate this cozy little arrangement?

This parasitic ecosystem could not thrive without the tacit approval of the Democratic establishment. The relationship between the Mothership network and the official party is not adversarial; it is deeply symbiotic.

The firm’s founders are, as noted, alumni of the DCCC. They didn’t just bring their contacts; they brought the “churn and burn” playbook, which was developed and honed inside the party’s own campaign arm. They simply privatized the party’s dirtiest tactics. This is not a rogue operation; it is an outgrowth.

[biophile]

1. I delete all such texts or emails. If I actually read them, I'll check the website

I never click on a link sent to my phone. I’ll look up a candidate or cause and write a check. (Like PP or ACLU) They will get my money if I deem them worthy, but not through a text or even email.

[CrispyQ]

2. I'm not sending money to anyone after reading this.

Our electoral process is a for-profit industry & the folks who can change it are part of the set who benefit from it. It's so fucking corrupt it's stunning we call this a democracy.

[Auggie]

24. Check out Flip The Vote

All monies go directly to boots-on-the-ground grassroots organizations aimed at getting disenfranchised blue district and state voters to the polls.

You could donate one billion dollars to defeat Gym Jordan of Ohio and it wouldn't move the needle. But in a purple district, it might ... if you can get enough Dems and Independents to vote.

Flip the Vote has worked.

[CrispyQ]

39. Thanks! I'll check them out cuz I would definitely like to contribute. -nt

[Be Leave On]

48. side hustles

We have a two-party election system, where both parties are really wealth extraction schemes doing political propaganda as side hustles.

[Sogo]

3. I know why: Act Blue. They sell the information of anyone who donates.

That's why I never leave them a tip.

[usaf-vet]

35. Because of ACT BLUE's policy of selling our information, causing an avalanche of emails every day WE STOPPED donating...

.....via ACT BLUE and similar consolidators. We still donate, but ONLY by writing checks that contain no identifiable information linking directly back to us.

We move small amounts of money to an account to cover the checks we want to write. We mail them via USPS with no return address.

It has caused our daily email volume to drop from an average of 15 to 20 emails to fewer than two, which mostly get unsubscribe notices. If these are ignored, I set up a filter to send them directly to the trash.

It cost us a few extra cents for the checks and stamps, but less than one dollar is our cost to get the money to where we want it to go.

It seems all politics is mostly a scam. Is it any wonder that we are in the predicament we currently face?

Oh, and I'm for TERM LIMITS, always have been. Too many elected officials are just warming seats, collecting huge paychecks, while searching for bigger-paying lobbyist jobs.

I know, I know, we will lose the good ones too, but I'm tired of being ripped off and losing the benefits we rely on so the slackers can get rich.

[Qutzupalotl]

53. May I suggest only donating through oath.vote

They don't sell your info, don't spam you, and are transparent about their operating costs — you can leave them a tip, or not.

The site is set up to prioritize races that are close to flipping, but you can search any individual race.

https://oath.vote

[Tree Lady]

4. That is completely f'd up!

It makes democrats hate getting communication from any politicians, you feel like they are no better than republicans only caring about money.

I know we are the ones who tried to get money out of it but Supreme Court screwed us over and forced us to become like them or lose because we had no money to fight.

I can totally see why so many don't vote and think we are the same.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

5. This is why I only donate to individual campaigns...

...directly, not through anyone/any group, not even the DNC.

[SCantiGOP]

33. Me too

And I take a check to their office or to my State Dem office.
My donations to other groups like ACLU and Planned Parenthood are made directly to them with a credit card over the phone.
I never respond to a mailed request.

[AStern]

6. How hard is it to "UNSUBSCRIBE" ?

nt

[EdmondDantes_]

9. Because they sell your data so unsubscribe doesn't work very well

By the time I unsubscribe from one, they could have sold/shared it to many others. I'm of the opinion that it should be illegal for my information to be shared or even required to be signed up for anything in the first place without me having to explicitly make the choice to opt in. Not some small checkbox that I have to unselect to opt out. I mean make a choice to opt in with opt out being the default.

[Grins]

11. AND THERE'S YOUR ANSWER!

You may get deleted because you unsubscribed, but your contact info has been sold and sold to organizations you never heard of who will then hit you up again, and again, and again!

It’s how LYNN CHENEY got my contact information and hit me up for $$$!

I get several of these every damn day!

[AStern]

47. Interesting... I rarely get any of those emails - if at all

[progree]

50. Me neither. I've been donating for years via Act Blue

I usually carefully pick just one or two candidates per election cycle and donate a large sum (multi-hundreds $) to them. I usually later get some donation solicitations from them, and I unsubscribe, and it stops.

I have never had an unsubscribe ignored by a political candidate.

I am always amazed by posts that say they are deluged by these emails.

[mitch96]

10. they ALL ignore my unsub. I just keep getting crap in the mail and email.. uff...nt

[kimmylavin]

16. That's the thing.

You choosing "unsubscribe" has just flagged your email address as a live one.
Much more valuable when they sell your info.
It's gross.

[SCantiGOP]

57. Easy to do it

But it often doesn’t work.

[W_HAMILTON]

7. Yes, I'm sure the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad """Establishment..."""

...just LOVES donations going to something other than themselves and their campaigns.

[betsuni]

58. STATUS QUO ESTABLISHMENT MONEY CONSPIRACY CORRUPTION MONEY DEMOCRATS EVIL CORRUPT MONEY!

[appmanga]

8. I certainly get bombarded -- and I've stopped contributing...

...but not out of irritation with the constant begging, but I can't give up money when I think it's being wasted. My money is prepared to go to real fighters who understand where we really are, and not orators and windbags who continue to place faith in a system that's been damn near demolished while spouting out ridiculous platitudes like "This isn't who we are". It might not be who I am, but that don't mean jack to the other side.

Even those who are still skittish about using the f-word (fascist) should have no problem calling the Trump Cabal a bunch of authoritarians, but they're content to keep going under the rules of the Marquis of Queensbury while getting bludgeoned with a pipe.

[aggiesal]

12. It's even worse on the Text side of things ...

How many text messages do you get for donations from a (D) candidate after (D) candidate?
Or (D) organization after (D) organization?
I find that the phone number attached to that text is not the only phone number associated with the Candidate or Organization.

Most text messages have a STOP or Stop2End reply to stop getting these donation requests.
When I send a STOP or Stop2End, I'll usually immediately received a response text, that states I've been removed from the list.
Unfortunately that 2nd text phone number does not match the original text phone number.

So eventually, you WILL get another request for donations from the same exact Candidate or Organization that you requested them to STOP sending you donation requests.

Why would you get another donations request from the same Candidate or Organization if you've already requested them to STOP?

Because there are 49 phone numbers associated with all Candidates & Organization.
You're reading that right, 49 phone numbers.

What does that mean?
It means that when you send the initial STOP/Stop2End message, the Reply you receive to confirm your phone number is removed, will also need a STOP/Stop2End message to that number, and on & on & on ... 49 times.
The message I receive that shows a STOP/Stop2End message already sent, means I've reached all 49 phone numbers.
Then I have to delete them all the text messages from my Text program.

I've had to do this multiple times a day. If I don't do it, I'll continue to receive donation requests and if I don't delete them, when I decide to delete them, I'll have to do to a whole bunch of Candidates/Organizations on 1 day, that would consume a lot of time.

Have fun Stopping and deleting all those phone numbers.

[dickthegrouch]

14. I don't even reply stop

I just flag as spam.
Since reading the OP all of them will be flagged as spam.
I want my money back.
Deception is never a good political strategy.
I’m punishing that in the only way I know how.

[aggiesal]

15. You can't do that with Text messages. n/t

[EdmondDantes_]

17. Yes you can

In my text app, at the top right there's 3 buttons. Click on that, near the bottom there's an option to block & report spam.

[aggiesal]

20. Looking at my phone (android), I have 3 vertical dots. When I select them, I get the following ...

Add Recipient
View Contacts
Pin To Top
Mute Notifications
Hide Read Receipts
Add to Blocklist
Delete

The only obvious one is Add to Blocklist, but I believe that only adds 1 of 49 numbers to the blocklist.
I believe I'll still get 48 more texts for the other 48 phone numbers that I'll then need to block.

Thanks for the suggestion. I just don't see any way around sending STOPS to all 49 phone numbers.

[dickthegrouch]

18. Some texts have a "delete and report junk"

If it’s never been replied to and not in your contacts.
At least in the iPhone ecosystem.

[Kid Berwyn]

13. Explains what happened to campaign finance reform.

Our experts depend on the dollah as much as the GOPMAGANAZIMFers do.

[Ping Tung]

19. George Wahington warned about the danger of political parties.

Just to try to get re-elected pols have to start begging, bribing, lying, just to get nominated again. Not to mention keeping up with the other pols bling and trophy spouses.

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

[OldBaldy1701E]

46. Yes, he did.

[ananda]

21. Since the election, I haven't given a red cent to anyone but PBS.

I learned that lesson last election.

[aggiesal]

23. I gave to PBS. I don't give to any national organizations, I give directly to the local candidate. n/t

[Susan Calvin]

40. I give to candidates and organizations of my choice.

I would never send the DNC a dime.

[PatrickforB]

22. Good post! Yes, I am DONE. Yesterday I had over 100 emails and a bunch of texts saying, "Pleeeeze...

give us money so we can FIGHT for you!

We gave Harris over $1 billion and 65 billionaire parasites matched us and funded Trump. Who profited? Wall Street financiers and institutional shareholders. It was like a giant slop-trough on a pig farm.

Meanwhile what do I have?

Well, I did everything right - began working at 16, worked my way through college then grad school. Got a good job. Grew in the job. Bought a house. Raised a family.

In the meantime, I paid into Social Security and Medicare paycheck by paycheck by paycheck for 40 years. FORTY YEARS.

Now what do I have to show?

- $10K in HEALTHCARE DEBT.
- I've had a call into the Social Security Administration for FOUR MONTHS and no one has called me back.
- When I call my US Senators, half the time they don't even answer. And they are Democrats!
- House still mortgaged - I first refinanced to pay off STUDENT DEBT from grad school.
- The Wall Street greedheads are trying to fucking PRIVATIZE Social Security and Tim Kaine is leading the charge for institutionalist Democrats.

Fuck that.

As far as I'm concerned the federal government doesn't give a rat's rear end about me because the institutionalists are so in the pocket of billionaires, think tanks like ALEC, Cato, Heritage and the Federalist Society. As George Carlin said, "It's a big club and you ain't in it."

I'm fucking tired of it. I've paid income tax as well as FICA year after year after year after year, AND I'M GETTING NOTHING IN RETURN. NOTHING. Is this what the term 'taxation without representation' means? I think it is, because this government hasn't done anything that materially benefitted me or my family since Medicare passed back in the 1960's.

So, for all the Democratic heavy hitters on this site - you have lost me. I'm sick of being nickel and dimed by people telling me they are gonna 'fight for me.' It is so fucking HARD to be middle class because we've had the old Wall Street SQUEEZE ever since 1971 when Lewis Powell laid out the plan for the corporate takeover of the republic. And now that's happening with this Russell Vought. His Project 2025 is the 'what do do now that Powell's plan worked.'

No more money from me. Ever. Not until I get universal health care, Social Security is saved and Medicare re-funded. I want debt free college for my grandkids, and a good, solid K-12 system.

Get it? I CARE ABOUT KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES. Harris said it when she got interviewed. Our system is broken and I'm not giving the effing thing another DIME until the players fix it.

[MichMan]

51. A significant portion of the $1.5 billion donated to Harris ended up being sucked up by parasite consultants

[KPN]

54. Great post. Thanks for your frankness. I think we

all need to hear how others genuinely feel and think about the state of our party and political ecosystem especially in these deeply troubled times.

I share most of the concern you expressed, and vary only in relatively insignificant ways. O haven’t yet given up on giving to specific candidates directly… and that’s only because I feel sufficiently secure economically to do so.

[Duncan Grant]

62. Great post. This -- right here.

Marathon speeches on the floor are ridiculous PR stunts.

Mobilize a *resistance* movement. Cultivate an effective message. Produce results for average Americans.

Then we’ll talk about money.

[Tadams01KC]

25. I do not

I never get messages to donate to democrats. And I use Act Blue all the time. I don’t think I’ve ever got even one

[Blue Full Moon]

26. They made us broke. Go ask your billionaires

[H2O Man]

27. I donate to

the candidates I like. They are the ones that don't take corporate strings, er, donations. I have not donated to the DNC for many, many years. I do not donate to any candidate that did not support AOC's proposal to make insider trading as illegal for elected representatives and their families, as it was for Martha Stewart or you and I.

[jalan48]

28. Sounds more like an employment program for staff workers.

[DingleBerryNW]

29. Personally, I never reply to money begs that arrive in the form of a text...

It’s difficult to decipher the source, so I delete them as junk. And, I don’t respond to email begs because they’re fucking annoying. Those are deleted and moved to the junk file.

However with regard to the blog post, I will reserve my outrage/concerns when/if additional sources report on this potentially alarming issue.

[Botany]

30. I block every text I get from any democratic candidate now.

That election was dirtier than hell, nobody said shit, and they sold my contact information to everybody.
Btw after the 2024 election I am now convinced that voting doesn’t matter and the game is rigged.

[writerJT]

32. Same. Blocked it all. Earn my vote.

I’m keeping my money.

[writerJT]

31. Those go right in the trash. $0

[Xavier Breath]

34. Every physical solicitation I receive gets recycled and every electronic solicitation gets deleted.

I'm done. If it's up to me to me to save this country via financial means, then I'm afraid we're already fucked.

[Demovictory9]

36. What?!!!

[gab13by13]

37. It's Chuck Schumer's strategy

He said so on Chris Hayes;
Let Krasnov burn it all down and then dump money into campaign ads and win the next election.

I give now to Indivisible and the ACLU, later I will give directly to candidates.

[Susan Calvin]

41. Somebody needs to tell Chuck

That the next election may be too late. They need to be at least making a lot of noise right now.

[Be Leave On]

49. F ACLU

The ACLU supports the Citizens United decision.
They are part of the money in politics problem.

[Skittles]

38. good way to stop people from sending Dems money

what about repukes?

[Susan Calvin]

42. This post will not stop me from sending Democrats money.

As a matter of fact, it will not cause me to do a single thing differently. I donate to candidates and organizations of my choice and I will not give one red cent to the DNC. Because I trust my judgment as to what to do with my money more than I trust theirs.

[Skittles]

45. I'm not saying everyone would stop donating

but it is certainly sending a message worse than what the non-stop begging does

[Torchlight]

43. It's the infinite coupon flyers that fill our mail box that really gets my goat off it's rope.

[CrispyQ]

44. Is it possible Trump would be doing us a favor if he shut down ActBlue?

Would enough people donate directly to the candidates to make up for the 2¢ they get via AB & other PACs? I know I never expected a non-stop onslaught of texts after the frickin' election. WTF? Candidates would have to go back to accepting contributions on their own website. IDK why they ever stopped, unless there's some agreement with AB that they can't accept donations directly, if they use AB services. I've looked at several candidates sites, & none of them have a way to contribute online. They all used to have this.

[Srkdqltr]

52. I wouldn't wonder. You give money they will spread your information around because they get money for their lists, sim

[relayerbob]

55. This is very distressing

It's way out of control. If they were specifying what the money was going for, and we were seeing an avalanche of anti-Trump lawsuits (or something) to go along with the avalanche of begging, I'd be more OK with it. Sadly, this low number doesn't surprise me, but does make me wonder how to get the money to the actual campaigns when the time comes.

And .... I NEVER donate to superPACs no matter how well meaning or cool sounding.

[SunSeeker]

56. Just send money directly to candidates you like. nt

[Melon]

59. I'm out after seeing the waste in the Harris campaign

As difficult as it was for me to earn, to just have money literally burned in waste, I pledged never again. I had a monthly reoccurring draft being sent in that I cancelled. Over a billion dollars. I know area close to home that need the money and it will go where it’s needed.

[Midwestern Democrat]

64. Kerry 2004 was the last presidential campaign I donated to - that was the last presidential campaign where I felt the

spending was at a reasonable level. Starting in 2008, campaign spending started reaching levels where I was certain that campaigns were literally just burning money. Since 2008, I've donated solely to individual down ballot candidates.

[GoodRaisin]

60. I don't click on links from email I don't trust, which includes all political email I receive.

It all goes straight to trash. You can’t be careful enough with all the thieves on the internet. It’s too bad for the ones who might be legit. I just can’t take that chance.

[Oeditpus Rex]

61. Or

it's because you're registered to votewith the Democratic Party.

In 2004, I bexame sick of the "Give us money" mail that crammed my mailbox and inbox evy single day, especially because I had almost none to spare. I'd just moved, so when I re-registered I changed my status to "No party preference." I "jumped ship" in name only.

The "givemail" stopped almost immediately. But I can still vote straight Denocrat and I can still caucus with Denocrats. I can also get mad at the party leaders (mostly for "going high" or doing nothing, or not enough) and still be on the side that aligns most closely with my desires and needs.

[Raine]

63. I never give a donation anymore to any political party or candidate...

I only give to causes I care about like to the environment or animals and only those I trust.