Is the DNC that clueless and out-of-touch? Daughter received a Joe Biden Donation Solicitation

[TheBlackAdder]

.

Asking her to donate either: $110, $155, $220 or other.


The minimum donation is $110, unless you want to check off Other and be a pleb and send less.

I don't know how many people want to get engaged and suffer though a pandemic seeing $110 as the base offering.

We chatted, and when I see stuff like that, regardless of the source, it gets shredded.

.

[Marcuse]

1. I'd pick "other".

[luv2fly]

2. Proud pleb here n/t

[CrispyQ]

3. Earlier this year, well after the inauguration, their front page was still in campaign mode.

We obviously don't value messaging at all. I just don't get it.

[acantharchus]

4. Happy Plebe here! Give til it hurts! nt

[ShazzieB]

12. Well, that was a helpful comment.

[gopiscrap]

93. welcome to DU

[EffieBlack]

5. Not clueless. Strategic and well-versed in the art and science of campaign donation solicitation

People are more likely to be willing to click "Other" and give less than click "Other" to give more.

If people can afford the higher amounts, they will click the suggested amount. If not, they'll click "Other" and give a lower amount. But they're not likely to click "Other" and then donate more than the suggested figure.

DNC "suggests" the higher amount in order to capture the people who can afford it and are willing to give those amounts. If they suggested lower amounts, that's what people would donate.

There's a method to their madness - and it's no skin off of anyone's nose to click "Other" and give less if that's all they can afford.

[WA-03 Democrat]

6. ⬆️ This! N/t

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. Exactly this. And the national party raises funds differently than individual candidates do.

[XanaDUer2]

8. Right nt

[Hortensis]

13. Thanks, Effie. :) We're "other" people, but only for donations

to organizations and people we chose first. We're recurrent auto donors to the party and local district all the time.

Everything that arrives unsolicited is deleted/trashed unexamined. No big deal.

[EffieBlack]

19. It's strange that anyone would react with such venom at being asked for money to support the party

If they can't/don't want to give, just don't give. But why get so worked up over it?

[Hortensis]

25. :) Agree. Anyway, the morning news usually exhausts mine,

and I'm good to go before tackling my email.

[wellst0nev0ter]

31. Messaging and optics is important

Don't want to signal that only high-spending donors are welcome.

[sheshe2]

54. " Messaging and optics is important"

Why, yes. Yes it is. What is the deeper meaning behind your words?

Don't want to signal that only high-spending donors are welcome.

Interesting comment, Wellstone. I am sure you are not implying that only the wealthy need to 'buy in' Nothing nefarious here.

The option, other allows people to give what they can. It is inclusive to all.

[wellst0nev0ter]

62. We need to include smaller amounts

To signal that small donations are welcome.

Those buttons are very simple to add.

[NurseJackie]

16. Thank you.

[sheshe2]

53. Effie, LTNS.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

83. Yes there is a method to the madness

BTW, the Lawyers for Biden group is now part of the DNC. We had a call three months ago with Jaimie Harrison and three or four other DNC types on. It was interesting. The DNC is embracing this group to keep fundraising options open. I loved the fact that the DNC kept saying that the DNC loved this group not just because we donate a great deal

[CrackityJones75]

9. Good gravy...

[sarisataka]

10. If all I can afford is $20 but

You don't want my $20 because it isn't enough that's your loss. The person on the next corner who lost their home will be grateful to take it.

[NewHendoLib]

11. my main thought - politics is expensive.

my secondary thought - these types of mail go directly to recycle. When NPR is fundraising, we turn off the radio. One of the main reasons we turned off TV 17 years ago was ads - can't stand them.

I have no doubt what they are doing is important - but I am a stubborn old curmudgeon that likes to give what I want to give to whom I want to give it to when I am able to - and anyone pushing anything at me gets ignored.

[Treefrog]

27. I've donated to NPR for years.

But lately, their condescending ads rally pissed me off. “We bet you listen all the time but you assume others will donate,” and others much worse just hit me the wrong way.

[Lancero]

14. Rather odd numbers to pick no?

I'd expect to see $100, $150, $200. Seeing rather nonsensical numbers like that would make me doubt the legitimacy of the solicitation.

[NurseJackie]

15. Stop.

[wellst0nev0ter]

32. Put more visible options for those who can afford less

Very simple solution

[NurseJackie]

33. That's what "Other" is for... people can easily fill in their own amount.

It's not that hard.

[wellst0nev0ter]

35. Putting in other numbers isn't that hard either

Like I said, very simple.

Or we can piss people off for no reason, our choice.

[NurseJackie]

36. Ridiculous.

Putting in other numbers isn't that hard either

They know what they're doing. It's absurd to believe it's necessary (or possible, or practical) to put a checkbox for every possible number.

They're setting goals and encouraging those who can to make an extra effort. Reasonable people understand this and don't feel the need to be catered-to. That's what the "other" spot is for. Intelligent donors know what they can and can't afford and they'll write-in their own amount.

Or we can piss people off for no reason, our choice.

Ridiculous. No, anyone who would get upset at having to writing their own lower amount in the "other" box is someone who would be pissed off at anything. There's really no need for the DNC to try to find the lowest common denominator.

Fact of the matter is that the DNC is letting people know what they need. People can choose to give or not. If someone gets upset enough to NOT give because the suggested amounts are "too high" or because there's not a $3 or $27 option, then that's their problem. It's clear that they're actively looking for reasons to be offended and can be safely ignored.

[wellst0nev0ter]

37. No, it really is easy

put a checkbox for every possible number.

Add a $20 and $50 button, and you're done. We won't be sacrificing anything if we do it.

There's really no need for the DNC to try to find the lowest common denominator.

Not sure what this is meant by this graf, but as we can see in the thread, people are clearly pissed off.

Hope this helps

[NurseJackie]

38. Ha! Take it up at the next board meeting!

Add a $20 and $50 button, and you're done.

Oh no! Dear me! Heavens! Gasp! Horrors! But what about the $3.00 donors. Won't they feel insulted? Oh dear me! We don't want to piss off those donors. How AWFUL it will be for them to write in such a low amount. They'll be humiliated.

The larger amounts are to encourage larger giving. If people can't afford it, they can write in their own amount or discard the solicitation. Problem solved. (Or they can enjoy feeling superior by playing "victim" because their budget wasn't specifically included in the pre-printed checkbox'd amounts.) Good lord!

Not sure what this is meant by this graf,

Give it some thought. You're smart. It will come to you.

but as we can see in the thread, people are clearly pissed off.

It just goes to show that there's a loud minority who'll always find SOMETHING insignificant to complaint about. I guess it's just a way to make themselves feel more important to focus on the UN-important details.

Hope this helps

Ha! Take it up at the next board meeting!

[wellst0nev0ter]

40. "But what about the $3.00 donors. Won't they feel insulted?"

Yes, let's all make fun of the small donors. That always works out well.

[NurseJackie]

41. Ha!

[lapucelle]

43. I've gotten emails from thirsty politicians who want money to pay for road trips,

even though they aren't aren't running for anything at the moment and have hefty war chests.

[NurseJackie]

45. Donors must use their best judgement...

... and not be afraid to enter a lower amount in the "other" blank... as long as it's appropriate for their budget. Mature people don't whine about entering an amount lower than the target. They are pleased to give whatever they can afford.

[George II]

46. I get emails almost daily from a Senator asking me to donate to keep his "movement" going....

I'm tempted to send him some Dulcolax.

[George II]

47. $110 isn't a "large" donation. It doesn't even require the recipient to itemize it.

[wellst0nev0ter]

51. Only people of a certain income level would say that

[George II]

56. People of certain income levels would say that about any amount.

[wellst0nev0ter]

60. Only people of a certain class would think $100 isn't a large amount

We need to cure that kind of myopia if we want more buy-in from infrequent voters.

[sheshe2]

58. This is just silly.

No one will know who and what they donated. Even then, who cares? Why are you saying a small donor would be made fun of.

Please link to your source.

[wellst0nev0ter]

61. I was speaking to the attitude surrounding this conversation

Don't misunderstand.

[sheshe2]

63. Oh, I am not misunderstanding a thing.

"But what about the $3.00 donors. Won't they feel insulted?"

Yes, let's all make fun of the small donors. That always works out well.

Your words.

First you are upset about the $100 being the low, which you say is high... that is asked with a choice of 'other' as an option. Then when myself and others suggested a lower level added you said that they would be ridiculed.

31. Messaging and optics is important

Don't want to signal that only high-spending donors are welcome.

ps://www.democraticunderground.com/100215883696#post31

'


Just Stop!

[EffieBlack]

73. Fake populism strikes agaiin

[betsuni]

77. +1

[NurseJackie]

88. Perfect description. Look-at-me Showboating and Grandstanding Populism...

... is always phony.

[EffieBlack]

89. Yes

The false nobility of claiming to be "non-elite."

[sheshe2]

55. I guess it pissed you off for no reason.

"Or we can piss people off for no reason"

[betsuni]

64. If I received such a request, I'd be "other." It would be such a harsh blow to my self-esteem

that I'd probably burst into tears and feel bad about myself as a person for weeks. A request for donations thought I'd be able to come up with (all by myself!) the amount of money I want to donate? How out-of-touch and elitist. That's it, I'm never voting for Democrats again.

[sheshe2]

65. LOLYou will recover all the attacks, sweetie.

With everything that is going on in this world right now, a Pandemic, an Insurrection and an attack on our Democracy and here we are talking about a $3 donation as opposed to a $250 one. We will be ridiculed and shamed for giving 3. Like anyone knows or cares what is given.

The dollar is not that important, the vote is.

LU

[betsuni]

72. That grassroots bullshit.

Three dollar donations made hundreds of times isn't corrupting but one large donation is. STUPID.

[NurseJackie]

75. "That grassroots bullshit." -- It makes the bookkeeping harder...

... and more complicated and impossible to audit. Ultimately it makes it easier for people to accidentally contribute MORE than the legal amount to individual candidates. Accidentally, I said... because nobody would intentionally try to violate campaign donation rules and regs.

That grassroots bullshit.

It's a math trick to create the illusion of millions of individual donors giving pocket-change. Some campaigns can boast that they have an average contribution of $2.70 (or whatever).

The only thing that does is make the credit card processors rich with their service charges per transaction and the minimum transaction fees. It's ridiculous.

[NurseJackie]

74. I'm soooo OFFENDED by my local NPR station! I wanted to give during their fall fund-drive, BUT...

I'm soooo OFFENDED by my local NPR station! I wanted to give during their fall fund-drive, BUT... when I got to their online donation page the station had the UNMITIGATED GALL to PRESUME that I could afford to give MONTHLY!!

MONTHLY!! Can you believe it? That's the DEFAULT request!! Monthly! Who can afford to give MONTHLY?

I was SO OFFENDED that they forced me to then click the "One Time Donation" button... but then it got WORSE!!

The LOWEST amount $50!!! FIFTY!!! They made me feel so small!! There's no way I could afford FIFTY DOLLARS!! It was HUMILIATING to me that my humble donation didn't rise to the level of the $50 they wanted.

So instead of typing in $10 in the "Other" field... I just decided to give ZERO. That'll teach them!

REVENGE!! If I can't have MY WAY, then I'll just PUNISH them for not catering to my vanities. I'm not interested in the common good anyway... I'm only concerned about my own FEELINGS and what THEY CAN DO FOR ME in order to make me feel more important than I really am.

Screw you, W.A.M.U!



No, seriously... donate: https://donate.wamu.org/page/32318/donate/1

[betsuni]

78. OUT-OF-TOUCH ELITES!!!!! What, do they think you live in a wine cave?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

68. How about zero

[LetMyPeopleVote]

82. I am on a number of dialing for dollars lists and emails lists

Heck, I got three emails yesterday from the Justice Democrats (I really am amused by the fact that this group's podcast is called "Just Us" Democrats and one from Tlaib. I am sad at the hatred express in these emails towards "establishment democrats" and "corporate democrats." The Just Us Democrats want to destroy the Democratic Party and rebuild in their own image which is sad. The emails from the Just Us Democrats are so bad that I find them funny and I enjoy laughing at these emails.

Fundraising is a difficult operation and the party has to raise a ton to compete with the dark money that MoschowMitch is able to raise. I am not pestered by the email described in the OP

[iemanja]

17. I do more than shred those emails

I block them. I don't give money outside of elections, and I don't give money to out of state/district candidates. I resent the notion that participation in a party has become about no more than giving them money. Fuck that.

[EffieBlack]

18. Participation in a party is more than donating money

But the party needs money to do all of things that people want them to do.

It does seem that the people who complain the loudest about being asked for money tend to be among those don't do anything else for the party that involves any more effort than complaining on the internet about what the party's not doing.

[iemanja]

29. WRONG

I put in many, many hours every election getting out the vote.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

70. Exactly right. It's all we have.

[sheshe2]

69. It is also about the vote.

You get off your ass and vote as if your life depends on it.

Fact is, it does.

[Boomerproud]

20. Everyone has a hand out. Sick of it.

[EffieBlack]

22. How is the DNC supposed to pay for its work?

Politics costs money. And given how much people complain that the DNC isn't doing enough, it's strange that people are also complaining that they're asking for money to fund their activities.

I guess they could rely on large corporate donations and funding from wealthy people, but I have a feeling that would be a problem, too.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

[NurseJackie]

34. This is one of the most absurd threads I've seen in quite a while.

I guess any donation request larger than $27 is reinforcing the "Coastal Elite" myth.

[betsuni]

44. Same old "Democrats are out-of-touch elites beholden to wealthy donors" crap.

"Other" is now a terrible insult because it insinuates you'e poor. Maybe ugly, too. We're supposed to get so mad we refuse to vote, to teach those mean elites a lesson.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

66. Mostly don't. Wouldn't give them a single dime. We

had the gift from the gods for doing something to stop a monster in the WH - every single day trump gave us fuel for generic ads. None that I ever saw. And great Dems lost in the House.

So unless someone can convince me what the benefit is.... I personally never saw any, I wouldn't throw my money away.

[JI7]

21. I never understand these complaints

You do realize you don't have to give anything at all ? I just delete most campaign emails . I always go directly to the site itself if I want to donate.

But there ARE people who will donate as a result of these emails so I'm fine with the emails.

Not everyone folllows politics regularly becsuse they are busy with other things so the emails are also a good way to keep some people aware . People who would have wanted to donate to help certain campaigns if they knew about them but were too busy with work or anything else to keep up with everything going on.

[EffieBlack]

23. This is strange, isn't it.

It's almost like people just need something to complain about.

[Treefrog]

28. Well, there's always Morning Joe and CNN!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

71. The bigger point is what value is derived

[Elessar Zappa]

24. I'm fine with it.

The party needs money to get the job done.

[Steelrolled]

26. I have proudly never given a penny to any political party.

No yard signs, no bumper stickers, no buttons, no hats. My political activism is limited to voting.

[leftstreet]

30. You're probably in huge company

I don't think most people do any of those things

I'm always perplexed at stories being related about political arguments, bumper stickers, yard signs, casual grocery store conversations about politicians, etc. I don't see or hear much of that at all

[Steelrolled]

42. Good point, I forgot to mention that I don't tell friends, family, neighbors, etc. why

I am right and they are wrong. It's not my bag.

[cadoman]

39. might be based on her prior donation history or location

For example if she gave $100 or $200 before it wouldn't be a stretch to ask for that.

I'm sure a lot of modeling goes into figuring out good amounts that you should be able to contribute to help the cause. But yeah, there's always the "Other" box if you need to donate less this time around.

[George II]

48. I wouldn't call it "clueless and out-of-touch. It's what they decided to do. I get local emails...

....that say "minimum suggested donation" as high as $250. If I choose to give lower, or nothing, that's what I do. I don't get offended by it.

[NurseJackie]

76. I remember how my ex-husband wasn't happy unless he was UNHAPPY about something!

Last edited Fri Sep 24, 2021, 06:20 PM - Edit history (1)

I remember how my ex-husband wasn't happy unless he was UNHAPPY about something! (And he wanted to make absolutely certain that he let EVERYONE know he wasn't happy... and he was fucking obnoxious and sanctimonious about it too!!) Seemed like he was always ranting on about something insignificant that ought to have been done differently (in his opinion). Looking back, I can see that he had control issues and probably suffered from and obsessive-compulsive disorder... he gravitated to people who would indulge him (guilty!) and let him get away with his man-child behavior (guilty again!) He drank himself to death (eventually) but I was long gone from that toxic and abusive relationship. He was a total dick!

[EffieBlack]

84. You called it, Jackie

[dflprincess]

49. I've had 3 calls from the DSCC in the last week

I keep telling them I pick which candidates I donate to as I don't want a dime going to Manchin or Sinema or anyone like them.

[oasis]

57. I told them the same thing. It took 'em dozens more calls and letters

before they finally got the message and ceased.

[brooklynite]

50. ALL of the fundraising emails go into my trash...

...and I refuse all the fundraising calls.

I do so because I write much larger checks and have personal contracts with DNC, DSCC, DCCC etc.

That said, I've come to understand that IN AGGREGATE, the fundraising pitches WORK; if they didn't, the Party and its Committees wouldn't use them. So I don't get upset when I get them.

Complain all you want; it won't make a difference. Ignore the ones you don't like. Contribute to the ones you do.

[Raine]

52. The only donations I make are directly to a cause itself

like for animals and the environment, NONE to political parties or to candidates. I want to make sure it goes right to the cause I care about most and not to who know where or who knows to who.

[hunter]

59. Send them five dollars.

What's the problem?

[Caliman73]

67. Out of all the things to get outraged at in the world...

This would be about 10,315,437th, right after I answered "No" when they asked me if I wanted Ketchup at the drive thru and when I got home, there was a packet of Ketchup in the bag.

If I have the money to spare I will donate. If I only have "other", I will donate other. If I have nothing or nothing I want to spend ... maybe next time.

No biggie.

[George II]

79. None of these politicians or political groups expect everyone to contribute every time...

With the close Governor race in Virginia, I've been getting, seriously, THREE emails from someone with the McAuliffe campaign. Surely they don't expect everyone receiving those emails to contribute each time they get one.

[betsuni]

80. How dare the DNC be so clueless and out-of-touch to solicit donations.

RIGGED! WE CHATTED!

[EffieBlack]

81. The DNC isn't clueless or out of touch. But some of the posts in this thread are

Jeez-oh-man.

[treestar]

85. Why is that a big deal?

Why go out of your way to be offended?

Give them what you want, or nothing. We all know they have to raise money somehow.

I suppose it would be better for them to raise money from "Wall Street?"

I agree with the Democratic party's policies and abhor those of the Republican party. I will therefore support the Democrats without worrying about things this small.

[Bettie]

86. I have been tracking my email

solicitations.

I get an average of 45 a day (tracked for my own amusement since January). All are from Democrats. I'm not rich and can not donate a great deal of money, not with two kids in college. I do what I can though.

I have now moved to a new email account to allow me to keep up with actual correspondence and left that one for solicitations and newsletters.

We get very few through the mail.

[DFW]

87. I hate it too.

“Surveys” with requests for money attached land either in the real trash, or in the spam bin of my email.

[Bucky]

90. That price progression doesn't make sense. $110, 155, 220

So the size of donation increases in increments of (2*55), then 45, then 65 dollars. Were they drunk or were they trying to demonstrate they're inconsistent at managing money?

Ugh, definitely amateur hour

We really need to get money out of politics. It's costing us billions in wasted pork spending.

[EffieBlack]

92. I'm pretty sure that the "amateurs" are the people who have never been involved

in political fundraising yet are on internet discussion boards calling the DNC "clueless" because they don't understand the dollar increments being solicited, not the DNC.

[MerryBlooms]

91. I'm okay with emails, but I don't like calls, especially during work hours.

Calls from ANY solicitor during work hours. I do home healthcare, and I answer local calls because it could be a client's doctor office or other related matters.

I get donation requests mostly from animal rescue orgs, Habitat For Humanity and our Food Bank. Ron Wyden pops up... I donate regularly to my faves, and occasionally to Wyden, I really like that guy.

I don't think I'd sweat it too much if our Democratic orgs were emailing me for donations, we have some serious battles coming up. They do emailers with lower donation suggestions (can't remember which specific group, sorry). I got one last year for $25 and up, but I had already spent my donation money for PAWS and our, Food Bank.