Bernie Sanders Outraises Billionaire-Backed Competition

[Uncle Joe]

Bernie Sanders is raising phenomenal campaign cash — in tiny increments. The Democratic Socialist announced Thursday that his presidential campaign raised $34.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. That haul, secured from 1.8 million donations averaging less than $20 a pop, puts him nearly $10 million ahead of the respective quarterly results for rivals Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, both of whom have catered to large-dollar donors at high-end fundraisers.

Sanders’ huge haul comes in the wake of a Democratic debate when he ribbed his rivals for their richest backers. “Now there’s a real competition going on up here,” Sanders said. “My good friend Joe received contributions from 44 billionaires. Pete, on the other hand is trailing. Pete, you only got 39 billionaires contributing. So Pete, we look forward to you. I know you’re an energetic guy and a competitive guy to see if you could take on Joe on that issue.”

The Vermont senator got yuks in real time — and the last laugh as his people-powered money machine is far outperforming the billionaire-backed fundraising of the former vice president and the McKinsey-pedigreed Mayor Pete. Biden — who was recently seen raking bucks in the Bel Air home of former MGM movie studios CEO Harry Sloan — raised $22.7 million in the quarter that ended at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Buttigieg — whose fundraising in the quarter included a now infamous visit to a Napa Valley wine cave — raised $24.7 million.

(snip)

The latest haul gives Sanders cash to invest in his ground game for the Iowa caucuses, which are now barely a month away. Meanwhile the campaign’s most valuable asset — the candidate himself — is freed up from the time suck of fundraising pitstops, and can focus exclusively on persuading voters that he’s the best bet to take on Trump in 2020.


https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/bernie-sanders-no-billionaire-wins-money-chase-933125/

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. Great news!

K and R!

[jalan48]

2. This will not make the oligarchs happy.

[SayItLoud]

3. Big haul? Compared to what?

While media is marveling at what tRUMP raised (do you really believe him?)...add up all the money the Dem candidates raised and it makes tRUMPs intake look as tiny as his hands. Well over $100 Million compared to his 40. Just sayin...

[booley]

27. Remind me .. how much have the other candidates raised?

IF memory serves

Last quarter Trump raised 46 million
Sanders raised 34 million.
The next biggest is Buttigeieg with 24 million

And remember two more facts
the Democrats are all competing with each other.
Unlike Sanders, Buttigieg and Trump are both taking in money from large donators, bundlers and special interests.

Well over $100 Million compared to his 40.

I was a little confused about this because do you mean overall?

Sanders has raised 18 million in the first quarter, than 18 million again, followed by 25.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders_2020_presidential_campaign

Along with his 34 million from this quarter thats 95 million over all, isn't it? my calculator seems to agree but please feel free to check my math.

I am sure trump has still raised more. Taking from wall Street billionaires really rakes in the cash. But then Clinton outraised trump in the year that shall not be named and that didnt help her in the end.

[guillaumeb]

4. Recommended.

The billionaires have the money, but not he votes. Thus all the GOP attempts to suppress and purge voters.

Enthusiasm can win elections.

[NurseJackie]

5. Yet the number of actual supporters is still lower than his high-water mark.

I certainly agree that his followers are loyal and loud... there just aren't enough of them to secure the Democratic nomination. And to make matters even worse for BS, his typical supporters are among the demographic that are the least reliable voters. But, one of his biggest challenges will come from the fact that his anti-party rhetoric and the continual smears and insults against Democrats and the party leadership is a real turn-off for stalwart and longtime loyal Democrats. Even if he tempers his comments come primary day, we devoted and true-blue Democrats have long memories.

[George II]

7. Interesting how they get the # of donations up and the average down:

[NurseJackie]

12. All this boasting is very hollow.

It's kinda sad when you realize that most credit card transaction processors get 25-cents up front (just for the transaction) PLUS 3% of whatever the amount of the charge is.

For a $100 transaction, the card processor keeps $3.25.

For a $1 transaction, that quarter is 25% of the transaction PLUS another three cents. Do that 100 times and the card processor gets to keep $ $28.00 instead of $3.25.

Not very smart way to donate money. But.... what the hell. I guess someone things that hollow boasting is worth the cost.

[George II]

13. So for every dollar one contributes the campaign gets less than sixty cents? Wonder if that all....

....is subtracted from the "$34.5 million"? That means the guy who contributed $1 twenty seven times actually gave about seventy cents each or, instead of $27 it was about $19?

I'd take the money and forego the bragging rights.

[NurseJackie]

14. A dollar donation...

... would give approx 28 cents to the processor and 72-cents to the recipient.

That's just dumb. But... oh well. If that's what they want to do!

[George II]

17. This is the guy who rails against the credit card industry for unreasonable user fees.

[NurseJackie]

21. Oh, look! Here's an interesting link...

Oh, look! Here's an interesting link...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287405409

... this is the exact same thing we're talking about. (I wonder if they were reading our comments on DU.)

[booley]

30. That won't get you to 35 million

Even if I accept that th4y can't separate out a single donor from a donor that gave multiple times, lets think about this

For multiple 1 dollar donations totally 27 dollars to reach 34 million would still require hundreds of thousands if not millions of donators. ( 1,259,259.259259259 to be precise) Raising the number past 27 in total doesn't help. They would have to be giving hundreds or thousands for that to even begin to work. And it would quickly lead to people maxing out (which all the evidence we have says isnt' happening.)

And apparently the people taking in the money can tell who is and isn't' new because Sanders announced 300,000 were people who hadn't' donated before. And no one is questioning this but .. well you guys.

If the final amount had been much much MUCH smaller maybe I could see your point. But at this size, multiple donatiosn liek the one you point out here would be statistically irrelevant.

[Thekaspervote]

20. Exactly... sanders is polling about half of his 2016 numbers

Sanders got 40% of Democratic Primary vote in '16, he's running half that this time. Even if he got 100% of Warren's support, he'd still be behind his '16 vote total

I will be happy when primary season is over and Bernie goes back to VT!!!!

[George II]

6. Is this the same $34.5M that's been reported about a dozen times here today? THAT $34.5M?

[lapucelle]

9. You know what they say about money...

&feature=emb_logo

[msongs]

8. multi millionaire bernie is against $$ in politics...unless he is the one getting it lol nt

[ritapria]

10. We don't need the Donor Class

We need a party for the working class …. The super- wealthy have no right to game the system on their behalf ….The last time I checked , they poop and fart like the rest of us …...The American people did not want NAFTA , The Iraq War. The Repeal of Glass-Stegall and a thousand other lesser horrors ...The Donors did ...They always get what they want because they control the purse strings -until Now ...Now is the time for a Political Revolution

[George II]

11. Anyone who gives even a single dollar is a member of the "donor class".

[NurseJackie]

15. And if the donor is a mail-clerk in the basement of Novartis headquarters...

And if the donor is a mail-clerk in the basement of Novartis headquarters... then the money is coming from "BIG PHARMA".

[booley]

31. No. Oh honey.. just no

I give 10 every month
That doesn't' make me The Koch Brothers or Jeff Bezos.

When someone says they don't' like money in politics, they aren't talking about when a high school teacher throws in 20 bucks. No law has ever been successfully lobbied because someone spent le than an all you can eat sushi dinner.

Seriously. Please rethink that argument.

[George II]

34. Speaking of "rethinking", I'm not your "honey". I find that characterization insulting.

[Thekaspervote]

19. democratic voters don't want a political revolution... that's nonsense

And here’s the proof!!

Voters are fairly clear about what they would like from a Democrat. They prefer, by 82% to 11%, one who promises to find common ground over one who promises to fight for a progressive agenda; and they prefer a moderate over a liberal, 75% to 19%.


They support Biden over the president, 38% to 27%, but prefer the president to Warren, 37% to 20%. This group voted for Trump by a smaller margin in 2016, 37% to 30%, with the rest casting ballots for minor candidates.

[msongs]

18. corporate dinosaur amazon, which bernie criticizes as he spend a fortune there lol nt

[booley]

32. Almost as if there is no ethical consumption under capitalism.

Seriously, this is the same argument climate deniers use

"You don't like pollution? Yet you drive a car to work!"

[TidalWave46]

22. Billionaires can donate the same amount to a campaign...

That Jane Sanders, Turner, Gray, Sirota, Sarandon, etc can.

These stories are deceptive and show a lack of understanding as to how campaigns get money.

[Uncle Joe]

23. You believe that's the only way candidates can get money?

Our campaign finance laws have loopholes large enough to drive a truck through.

Your post shows a lack of understanding.

[TidalWave46]

24. i Never made such an absurd claim.

Which is why you had to ask it as a question and couldn’t make it a statement. Really really bad form in the world of debating. Very blatant fallacy.

Of course those I mention above can donate to PACs and other dark money organizations operating as surrogates like CommonDreams.

I was addressing the content in the op. I will not be addressing fallacious arguments or deflection from the content of it.

[Uncle Joe]

25. It takes infinitely more contributions from average individuals whether they

donated to a campaign, PACs or Common Dreams to offset largess from major corporations or billionaires.

Your argument is specious at best.

[TidalWave46]

26. Sarandon is an average individual?

[Uncle Joe]

28. 1 out of 1.3 million contributors to Bernie's campaign but

hey, disregard the other 1,299,999 individual contributors; the most of any Presidential campaign in U.S. history at this stage of the campaign if it makes you feel better.

[TidalWave46]

29. Sarandon is the only one?

That’s impressive. My point is spot on which is why you keep putting forward fallacies and making up statistics on the spot. The constant movement of your argument makes it clear that you get it.

[booley]

33. Then what did Sheldon Addelson spend a 100 million on

From what we know he only gave to 34 candidates/groups supporting candidates

My math may not be the best but I dont' 98 million divided by 34 is anywhere near 2800

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-much-did-sheldon-adelson-really-spend-on-campaign-2012

Billionaires can and do spend lots of money on candidates. They want access. And they get access.

Which is why big-money donors have threatened to not donate, the DNC takes that very seriously.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/wall-street-democratic-donors-may-back-trump-if-warren-is-nominated.html

Speaking of seriously, I seriously don't understand how we all get that money drives politics for Republicans. Republicans have billionaire sugar daddies and no one questions that's a problem.

But then it's Biden or Buttigieg or other Democrats we like and it like a switch got turned off.

Big money influencing politics is a problem for both parties.

[TidalWave46]

35. Another straw man.

I agree with you about the problem, though you deceptively define it in order to make a point in debate.

Can you tell me the CommonDreams donor list?

The SouthPaw MI PAC?

https://www.southpawmi.com/

The multimillionaire Sanders Sat down with at a $190/plate restaurant.... how much dark money have they funneled into Common Dreams? Is that what got them access?

I agree, it’s a problem. It also highlights how deceptive the campaign propaganda in the op is.

If we base our ideology on upholding the image of our sacred cows, while demanding everyone else plays under an imaginary set of rules, then we no longer have a farm to maintain.