I've said in the past that I thought the worst place to donate money is to a president running for re-election, but I'm starting to think that the second-worst choice for liberals looking to give money in 2012 will be to Elizabeth Warren -- because she's going to have more than enough. Which raises the question: where should liberals be donating right now? What candidate do you think (1) deserves support from liberals and (2) is in a position where the money over the next couple months could make a difference?
(Not asked of conservatives because giving money to a candidate in a competitive presidential nomination race makes lots of sense. Also, because I hadn't thought of it yet. Maybe next week).
Tammy Baldwin, running for Senate in Wisconsin. Without a doubt, Wisconsin will be a significant battleground, it's very winnable for her, she needs to get through a primary and a general, and she's a die-hard liberal and effective legislator.
ReplyDeleteState representatives and gubernatorial candidates. The money goes a lot further and impacts your life far more on a day to day basis.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, state legislature candidates. GOP made huge gains in 2010. Pennsylvania, for one, is now fully controlled by Republicans, but the state legislature gerrymander wasn't nearly as bad as the House map. Dem challengers will have a strong issue in the GOP's failure to enact a tax/environmental regs on fracking.
ReplyDeleteGood point on state legislative candidates. What about PACs of politicians whose views one agree with? Neil Sinhababu (I think) wrote a post awhile ago extolling the virtues of donating to someone like Nancy Pelosi's PAC. While Pelosi herself certainly doesn't need the money, politicians do give each other donations, partly to exert future influence but also they're hopefully able to identify worthy candidates that need the money.
ReplyDeleteThe recall campaign in Wisconsin. The election itself will be in a few months and it will be down to the wire. And it's scheduled to take place in the late spring/early summer period when there's not much presidential news taking place, so political reporters will be spending a lot of time writing "What Does It All Mean?" pieces that will play a big role in the 2012 political narrative, so we want that narrative to be as favorable to us as possible.
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning me, Greg! Here's the post on donating to Leadership PACs. Here's the key paragraph:
ReplyDelete"The point of doing it through Merkley is that he can show up in the offices of people who took his money and persuade them to help out with the awesome stuff he's trying to do. As a random out-of-state contributor, I'm not really equipped to tell Senators to go support Jeff's stuff. Giving to a progressive legislator's leadership PAC seems to be the best way to both help Democrats retain the Senate and ensure that they vote for the right things. I lose some efficiency in terms of being able to pick the races where extra money will make the biggest impact, but I'm thinking that donating through somebody who can actually get in people's faces and call in favors more than makes up for that."
So yeah, I'm a big fan of giving to Leadership PACs. I've already maxed out with 5k to Merkley.
One other person I'm thinking of is Mazie Hirono out in Hawaii, who's the progressive candidate in a primary against Iraq-War-supporting Democrat Steve Case. It'd be really annoying if we got a Lieberman-style Democrat out of Hawaii.
Pete DeFazio of Oregon. He'll be running against an extreme rightie again which should make it easy since his district encompasses Eugene and Corvallis but it appears not. I think though Warren needs it because she's bound to run for the presidency someday and that money doesn't go away ;)
ReplyDeleteCongressional primaries in the high profile districts. They're a chance to affect what the Democratic party looks like in 2012.
ReplyDeleteBill Nelson, down in Florida, is a loyal liberal in a swing state whose reelectIon race is looking increasingly tight. Same goes for Tammy Baldwin and whoever runs against Scott Walker up in Wisconsin. And I believe Elizabeth Warren can't get enough donations considering the amount of resources that will be pouring into the state. She absolutely needs the means to stay in the public eye or else Karl Rove will be the one defining her.
ReplyDeleteI agree state legislatures are a great place for donations, a little goes a long way. Here in Florida we have 2/3 republican control over both houses, with a mad man governor.
Agreed that Merkley's awesome. I actually think liberals/progressives and democrats need to donate to organizations that develop leadership way down ballot, especially in places like Arizona, Virginia, N. Carolina, and Texas. Governor races in NC and WA are important and the dems might be in some trouble in both.
ReplyDeleteThe most progressive candidate in democratic-leaning open seat house races - Tammy Baldwin's seat in Wisconsion, the new Columbus based OH-03, Barney Frank's seat in Mass, Dale Kildee's seat in MI, Lynn Woolsey's seat in CA, Jay Inslee's seat in WA, Heinrich's in NM, Chris Murphy's in CT, Hirono's seat in HI, Berkley's seat in NV.
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ReplyDeleteThe Democratic senate seats that are up for re-election have to be the most important. I doubt that the House will go back to Democratic control, so the Senate will be instrumental in supporting the reelected Democratic president or holding back the Republican craziness.
ReplyDeleteIf the Republicans take back the Senate, it might not be a disaster, since there may be enough moderate/liberal senators to block craziness. However, the Senate Republicans might pull the trigger on the "nuclear option" and remove the filibuster. Who knows what kind of craziness would ensue then (THIS would just the least of it).
I have to say that I think if Obama faces both a Republican House and Senate, he would be getting rolled a lot. He wouldn't know how to handle it the way Bill Clinton did.
Simpson/Bowles 2012!!!
Last comment deleted for too many typos.
He wouldn't know how to handle it the way Bill Clinton did.
ReplyDeleteClinton's way of 'handling it' was basically to give killa speeches, and then turn around them what they wanted. See, e.g. welfare reform, or the resolutions supporting regime change in Iraq and Iran...
To Newt Gingrich. Having him atop the GOP ticket will be the best thing that happened to liberals in a long time and will help the Democratic Senate candidates more than any other measure. As a second choice, Tim Kaine's race in VA is important.
ReplyDeleteInformative posts. I think from now on I'll be giving a lot more to Leadership PACs. I also second the importance of Tim Kaine's race.
ReplyDeleteI think progressives should also start investing both time and money in their local races to start developing a quality bench. Here in Texas, we're having a hard time finding a quality candidate for the open Senate seat in 2012. That's a problem.