Politically engaged millionaires have developed certain expectations in recent years. Especially at the start of a presidential nominating race, when candidates routinely cultivate relationships with prospective donors, the wealthy donor class has come to believe it’s entitled to personalized attention from those seeking national office.
The Washington Post reports today, however, that many of these millionaires are suddenly feeling neglected. Apparently, they’re not quite rich enough anymore to warrant candidates’ time.
At this point in the 2012 presidential race, Terry Neese was in hot demand. “Gosh, I was hearing from everyone and meeting with everyone,” said Neese, an Oklahoma City entrepreneur and former “Ranger” for President George W. Bush who raised more than $1 million for his reelection.
This year, no potential White House contender has called – not even Bush’s brother, Jeb. The only e-mails came from staffers for two other likely candidates; both went to her spam folder.
“Staffers”? Politically engaged millionaires have been reduced to hearing from aides rather than the candidates themselves? The horror.
Evidently, in this new environment, with a proliferation of hyper-wealthy donors, mere millionaires don’t receive the consideration and responsiveness to which they’ve grown accustomed. Neese told the Post that the major Republican presidential hopefuls are “only going to people who are multi-multi-millionaires and billionaires.”
One former Bush Ranger complained, “What about when I get to the convention? Last time, I was sitting in a box. This time, I may not even get a ticket!”
And just think: even if he or she gets a ticket to the Republican National Convention, the former Bush Ranger may have to sit with the riff raff.
The piece added that there’s “palpable angst” among donors who used to receive VIP treatment, but whose phones no longer ring: “One longtime bundler recently fielded a call from a dispirited executive on his yacht, who complained, ‘We just don’t count anymore.’”
That’s one of the more striking sentences I’ve seen in a long while.
Mere millionaires, however, can take comfort in the fact their day in the sun will arrive eventually.
The old-school fundraisers have been temporarily displaced in the early money chase due to the rise of super PACs, which can accept unlimited donations. This year, White House hopefuls are rushing to raise money for the groups before they declare their candidacies and have to keep their distance.
The VIP treatment for bundlers will still arrive, of course, but later in the cycle, when candidates become official and turn their focus to those who can raise money in smaller increments. Since campaign committees can only accept donations up to $2,700 per person in the primary, they will need teams of wired fundraisers who can bring in checks to fill their war chests.
So, chin up, millionaires. Sure, you’ve been temporarily pushed aside for billionaires, but soon Republican candidates will come back, telling you all about the big tax cuts they’ll give you after the election.
In the meantime, enjoy the yacht.
Serves 'em right. And the quotes are fucking priceless! "Staffers!?"
We pissing our pants yet?
-Negan
You got your shittin' pants on? Because you’re about to Shit. Your. Pants!
-Negan
He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches.
-George Bernard Shaw
Maybe they could start a grassroots movement to reclaim the rich wing of the party from the billionaire elites who have forced them out onto the street with the lowly staffers.
"Oh no, oh yeah, tell me how can it be so fair
That we dying younger hiding from the police man over there
Just for breathing in the air they wanna leave me in the chair
Electric shocking body rocking beat streeting me to death"
- A.B. Original, Report to the Mist
"I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."
- George Carlin
Maybe they could start a grassroots movement to reclaim the rich wing of the party from the billionaire elites who have forced them out onto the street with the lowly staffers.
You should pitch that to Private Eye.
There are hardly any excesses of the most crazed psychopath that cannot easily be duplicated by a normal kindly family man who just comes in to work every day and has a job to do.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Replace "ginger" with "n*gger," and suddenly it become a lot less funny, doesn't it?
-- fgalkin
Ishhhh.... there are limits on how much individual donors (people and organizations) can give, which are typically collected by candidates' electoral campaigns. The actual limitations are... not very useful... as they tend to be largely ignored in practice if not the letter of the law. Say someone wants to give a few million dollars to Candidate X, when they're limited to 200 thousand by the law; they give the money by simply distributing it among a bunch of people who then each give 200 thousand. It's not illegal-- unless you get caught at it.
Elections in the US are rife with that kind of corruption, unfortunately. It's largely become a matter of who has the deepest pockets, rather than things like, you know, integrity, moral compasses, actual stands on principle, and so forth...
jwl wrote:Why don't other parties and hostile newspapers just try to get them busted for it?
Because they're all in on the racket.
aerius: I'll vote for you if you sleep with me. Lusankya: Deal!
Say, do you want it to be a threesome with your wife? Or a foursome with your wife and sister-in-law? I'm up for either.
