“They want us to spend money, and for what? For no message, no organization, no forward thinking. … The thing that’s clear to a lot of us is that the party never really learned its lesson in 2016. They worked off the same playbook and the same ineffective strategies and to what end?”

    • qprimed@lemmy.ml
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      4 days ago

      exactly.

      While he said donors are taking calls, they are “asking harder questions, which I think is a good thing.”

      my family sends in contributions to progressives doing on the ground work. every. single. month.

      no need to beg for donations when its clear you are actually trying to make a difference.

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of people who will take the time to tell us that somehow it’s still not the time and place to critique the Democrats. (And these days, tell us that we’re secretly supporting Putin/Trump if we do)

    I’ve been being told that every year for 25 fucking years. I guess never is the only good time to critique the Democratic party, huh? We just have to roll over and accept what party leaders want and fuck their constituents I guess.

    • t3rmit3@beehaw.org
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      They basically said in the article that they’re not going to change strategies, insinuating that donors are just “fatigued”, and will come around:

      Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons said donors will also gravitate back to the fold organically, when they see Trump increasingly hostile to progressive values. But for now, Simmons said, the donors are still grappling with the aftermath of an emotional and tumultuous campaign.

      “For a lot of Democrats, it’s like we had a heartbreak and one way to deal with heartbreak is to curl up on your couch and eat ice cream,” he said. “But one way that will help them get over the heartbreak is how infuriating the new guy is.”

      • elfpie@beehaw.org
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        Is it just me or does this really look like an extortion scam? “We’ll protect you if you give us money.” They don’t, obviously, because they need the threat to still be real.

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          Oh it’s not just extortion, it’s abusive.

          “We know that Trump and their administration are abusive and will kill people, but that’s why you have to accept us as we are without us needing to change one iota, because we’re not quite as abusive.” That sounds like an abusive controlling partner to me. “If you don’t do things my way, I’ll let really bad things happen to you.”

        • t3rmit3@beehaw.org
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          Yes, absolutely, but to be fair I don’t think they understand that. I think that most of these neolib centrists truly think they are the bulwark against fascism, and that the second you use any other means of resistance than appealing to economic/business interests, you have somehow abandoned Capitalism morality.

          When money drives everything they do, this kind of exploitative relationship just looks to them like a social contract.

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          At least in an extortion scam you get to keep your store from being burnt down by the mob.

          It’s an extortion scam coupled with a party that fucking refused to do anything.

          Vote for us or a women’s right to choose will be gone!!! Ok we voted for you, you want to do something… no you can’t just ask the lady living her life like a chapter of the handmaids tale to pinky swear… and the Supreme Court just got rid of it… and I have a text asking for $20 to fight like hell…

          Fuck the dems. They aren’t getting one red cent from me. Time for a new party that isnt crawling with consultants figuring out how best to milk donations

    • inv3r5ion@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      Oh but trump is worse!!! If you criticize the dems at all and call them controlled opposition and a fraudulent political party you’re a trump supporter!

      (If it’s not obvious, I fucking hate the democrat party and their blue MAGA vote blue no matter who base)

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      I am not aware of any meaningful number of people (other than DNC leadership) saying that this point. Hell, AOC et al have pretty regularly torn into the party and they ARE the party.

      What you might be confused by is people who said that last year when we were trying to get Kamala elected in the hopes of avoiding trump doing exactly what he said. And even then, it was mostly “I have a LOT of problems with the Democrats and there is going to be plenty of time to tear into them later. But right now, this is an existential threat and that takes priority”

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    Yup.

    I have replied to every single fundraising email (that isn’t a blatant noreply address) asking them to tell me what their plans actually are other than “Wait for 2026 and flip a few seats, maybe”. Have yet to get a response. And all my representatives basically just say they have a tweet where they summarized a cnn article or that they are unable to comment at this time.

    Donate to the Democrats who are ACTUALLY trying to lead the country (AOC being an obvious choice. Yes, her first priority is her district in NYC but she is kicking ass on a nation wide scale), if only to make it clear that people ARE willing to fund Democrats who give a shit.

    And, considerably more importantly, donate to the ACLU and the other orgs fighting the good fight. Same with LGBTQ+ charities. I am not aware of any funds dedicated to helping fired federal workers but that would also be a good cause.

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    “I believe we will see more groups raising smaller numbers, as donors look to invest in different things,” Schale said. “I think this is healthy, as we learned in 2020 when a ton of groups were at the table.”

    Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons said donors will also gravitate back to the fold organically, when they see Trump increasingly hostile to progressive values. But for now, Simmons said, the donors are still grappling with the aftermath of an emotional and tumultuous campaign.

    Taking the wrong lesson as always. “Vote for us or you’ll regret it.” Never a shift to more progressive policies.

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    “Democratic strategist Steve Schale, who served as the director of the pro-Biden super PAC Unite the Country, attributed some of the donor reluctance to fatigue, which he said happens after every election.”

    Fuck this guy in particular.

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    God this was infuriating to read. Like brands? Donations? Are these guys even living on the same planet as us?

    Dear Americans, please find less frustrating morons to ineffectually “fight” fascism please. Signed, the rest of the world.

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    This is absolutely true (including for me). I’m not funding anyone anymore but the Squad, until I see or hear how the party is actually planning to dig its way out of its appeal-to-both-sides-but-side-with-centrist-money pit it’s gotten itself into.

  • Pete Hahnloser@beehaw.org
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    It’s a rational position. “Tell me what my money will actually accomplish after all these failures.”

    That said, getting rid of big donors doesn’t really have a downside for the party platform. But I think a schism is coming.

    • Chris Remington@beehaw.orgOPM
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      Being the longest running democracy (though flawed) is encouraging. The rabbit hole of US politics is daunting. I try to not get too emotionally invested.

  • flatbield@beehaw.org
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    Personally I follow oath.vote. I gave that way last cycle and I prrobably will the next cycle.

    I also interested in what Adam Kinsinger is going to do.

    Finally who gives now? I only give in the year of the election. Though I might make some exceptsions.