The Dearth of Democratic Donors

Democrats need to find their own version of Trump to fire up the fundraisers.

A stinging rebuke of last November’s Democratic candidates is causing pandemic-style panic among the party’s big donors. Even the little guy has clamped shut the wallet, and funds are drying up – just when they are needed most. But if the message stands that Trump is a fascist evil-incarnate bully, why the low energy on funding the D-machine?

Perhaps it is the lingering hangover after the last four years of almost unchecked spending. Or maybe the lack of a legitimate primary process to select Joe Biden’s successor has set folks on edge. Whatever the reason, it has the progressive in a panic.

The loss of the presidency and the Senate might have shocked the money folks more than the candidates themselves. After all, former Vice President Harris’ campaign raised $540 million six weeks after Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race. The Trump campaign was outspent three to one. So where is she, and why isn’t Harris cold-calling the PACs big donors, making TikToks, and sending out emails?

Harris, the de facto leader of the Democratic Party, is nowhere to be found. It was not that long ago that she said during her concession speech: “But hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.” Has anyone else noticed the cacophony of crickets?

Light a Fire Under that Democratic Party

Now is the perfect time for the Democratic party to come out with a platform, a slogan, and a solid, succinct message that voters and donors can repeat, ad nauseam, before the midterm elections. All eyes and attention are on Trump’s blistering first 100 days, which should give the opposition plenty of wiggle room before unveiling a solid plan. Instead, progressives bark at every single thing that is uttered by 47 while ratcheting up violent rhetoric and still relying on post-Roe emotions. But they can’t keep up, and woke policies turned voters away. It might be time to drop back ten and punt.

The party recently and ironically selected two white men they are trusting to steer the party to a midterm sweep: Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Chair Ken Martin and activist and would-be pillow magnate David Hogg of Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting fame.

John Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, rallied behind Martin’s choice, saying, “Ken will cut you if he has to, but that ruthlessness is what we need to achieve electoral success.” Oh, he forgot to say, “and a well-financed plan.”

What, Me Worry?

Democratic strategist Steve Schale has a few insights that explain the downturn in fundraising after the historic numbers raised and spent leading up to Nov 5, 2024. “I’ve talked to a number of donors who just don’t have a lot of confidence after 2024 and want to see how people are thinking about issues differently,” he said. Schale added that they take the calls, but they ask tougher questions instead of mindlessly PayPal-ing ActBlue or other fundraising conduits.

“Frankly, a lot of donors I’ve talked to don’t think their voice mattered in 2024, so I’ve been doing more listening than talking,” Schale added.

It is good for the electorate to question where their dollars are going. Big-money donors are especially critical of how their campaign contributions are invested, and other left-wing strategists seem to concur. It’s a what’s in for me mentality after the last cluster. “Folks are saying right now, ‘What’s the Democratic Party to me as an investment?’ I’m hearing from DNC [Democratic National Committee] members they don’t really believe where we’re at right now,” said one insider, who spoke with The Hill anonymously. “They don’t believe that we can counter Trump, so why lose dollars?”

Even the small-dollar contributors are cagily waiting for a reason to believe. “This is having a trickle-down effect,” said North Carolina-based political consultant Douglas Wilson. “Grassroots donors want to see more fight and less text message requests asking for contributions.”

Just as the GOP needed a candidate like Donald Trump, the progressives and the Democratic Party might spend some brain power in finding their version of the man. Another affable Bill Clinton-type, an Obama-style charmer, or anyone who can relate and motivate the masses without word salads and incoherent rants. “Democrats like to be inspired, so having more inspirational candidates will make that easier,” offered strategist Jamal Simmons, who then accused Democratic donors of lying in the fetal position in the Barcalounger and mourning the loss with a gallon of Ben & Jerry’s. But he also added: “One way that will help them get over the heartbreak is how infuriating the new guy is.”