Top 10 contributors: Romney, Perry, Obama

[ProSense]

Romney's Top 10 Contributors

Goldman Sachs $354,700
Credit Suisse Group $195,250
Morgan Stanley $185,800
HIG Capital $176,500
Barclays $155,250
Kirkland & Ellis $129,100
Bank of America $121,500
PricewaterhouseCoopers $118,250
EMC Corp $117,300
JPMorgan Chase & Co $109,750


Perry's Top 10 Contributors

Ryan LLC $197,800
Murray Energy $66,803
USAA $51,500
Contran Corp $50,000
Ernst & Young $45,300
Clayton Williams Energy $43,300
State of Texas $41,750
Occidental Petroleum $36,000
McNa Dental Plans $28,000
Primoris Services $27,500


Barack Obama's Top 10 Contributors

Microsoft Corp $170,323
Comcast Corp $116,155
Harvard University $94,225
Google Inc $90,166
University of California $83,679
DLA Piper $79,375
Chopper Trading $64,815
Skadden, Arps et al $64,162
Stanford University $62,928
Ballard, Spahr et al $61,300


Open Secrets offers the following disclaimer:

This table lists the top donors to this candidate in the 2012 election cycle. The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organization's PAC, its individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families. Organization totals include subsidiaries and affiliates.

Now consider this: Both Romney and Perry have collected nearly $180,000 each in PAC money and more than 90 percent of their contibutions come from large donors.

[ProSense]

1. No comment? n/t

[frazzled]

2. Okay, I'll bite

It's clear the banking/financial money is going in larger amounts to Mitt.

It's clear Perry is getting bucks from (mostly) weird Texas industries.

It's clear that universities like Stanford and Harvard like Obama. (And that he's not getting most of his money from Wall Street, despite what anyone likes to say.)

What's not clear to me is what any of this really means. As you point out, when employees of a large firm or institution contribute through a pac, it's hard to know exactly what's going on. How much of this is directed or forced campaign money (e.g., people feel they have to give through the pac to keep their jobs, because the boss likes it), how much of it is just workers contributing. I've never been able to figure out the big story on these numbers. You can see trends by industry, but it's not as black and white, I think, as many like to portray it.

[ProSense]

3. That's exactly it

What's not clear to me is what any of this really means. As you point out, when employees of a large firm or institution contribute through a pac, it's hard to know exactly what's going on. How much of this is directed or forced campaign money (e.g., people feel they have to give through the pac to keep their jobs, because the boss likes it), how much of it is just workers contributing. I've never been able to figure out the big story on these numbers. You can see trends by industry, but it's not as black and white, I think, as many like to portray it.

The media and people like to throw these numbers around as if they mean anything by themselves. There is a huge difference between one million individuals contributing $25 and a PAC or top executives of a company contributing thousands of dollars.

The too much money in politics, the influence peddling, is being fueled by big donors, PACs, lobbyyist and the outside groups.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PETRUS]

4. Obama was Wall Street's candidate in '08, but isn't in '12

The financial sector backed him strongly the last time around but he is no longer their first choice.

[newblewtoo]

5. and that reminds me of this quote:

Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time.
Harry S Truman

It will take more than the progressive left to elect a president without a third party candidate in the race.

[jeanmarc]

6. State of Texas?

How does 'State of Texas' work as a contributor?

[Pirate Smile]

8. It is just contributions from people who work for the State.

[mmonk]

9. Bundling included I presume?

[rpannier]

10. I would have rec'd it....But, I missed it. Sorry bout that

Thanks for sharing

I kind of laughed when I saw the list.
20 years ago I was at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo and coached a soccer team in the city.
Our sponsor was Clayton Williams

[banned from Kos]

11. bump - nice to show how ridiculous the "Obama is in the pocket of Wall St" bullshit

led by those who think there is a chance in 100,000 that someone will come along and arrest 50,000 "banksters".