This is why I never make online donations. Just slip her an envelope of cash imo.
3 Likes
I absolutely hate it and it will never stop…because it works 
It also makes textbanking for voter outreach way less effective than it could be because people think it’s the same as the fundraising texts, which makes my job a lot harder.
3 Likes
It definitely works for the organizations doing it who just care about raising cash and taking their cut. Especially PACs who are not necessarily aligned with the actual candidates.
Does it actually net help the candidates win?
my email/texts has more from individual candidates than PACs, but in general, more money = better shot at winning because the money is spent on voter outreach (texting, mail, signs, etc).
Still have to report anything more than $25 in cash.
And donations have to be accompanied by full name, address, employer and occupation by law. So if you want to help a candidate, donate directly to them via check and include all the info. If you want to hurt them in the long run by making it a hassle to comply with campaign finance laws and possibly get them in trouble, by all means, hand them an envelope of cash.
I donated $75 to a hospital once and then they texted me, emailed me, called me multiple times a week and mail me once a month too. I blocked their emails and phone calls and would never give them another dime. They’ve already spent more money on postage than I gave them.
I still get a call a week and endless mailers from the Red Cross for donating blood. I’d like to donate again, but I get dangerously dizzy hiking at altitude for a month or two afterwards. Please leave me alone guys.
I donated to the World Wildlife Foundation once in high school and received approximately 50 mailers from them over the years. Had to cost a massive multiple over what I donated.
Stolen idea: announce VP pick at the actual Four Seasons in Philadelphia
15 Likes
It would actually be really funny to do it from
Four Seasons Landscaping.
8 Likes
imo the biggest problem is that you’re burning SMS as a fundraising channel and therefore as an organizing channel. I know scammy consultants are a big part of the problem. But I’ve never seen an argument for this fundraising that also factors in the opportunity cost of the money lost from people who don’t donate as much purely because they hate getting buried in texts. In just the last dozen posts there’s like a half dozen of us.
it’s not like a binary choice between “send zero follow-up texts” and “send more follow-ups than combo of NPR and the nigerian royal family,” if I could check an opt-out box that actually worked then that would be perfect, but if I only got, like, one or two follow-ups a year then I could live with that
nyt on how predatory fundraising tricks old people
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/us/politics/recurring-donations-seniors.html?smid=url-share
Mothership Strategies, a fundraising firm ruining it for everybody
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/24/mothership-strategies-democratic-fundraising-00128548
2 Likes
It’s not just the cadence and tone, he’s got a lot of the Obama hand motions down too.
Wtf
1 Like
My favorite fundraising email said “Why haven’t you promised to vote for Kamala Harris yet?!”
1 Like
Apparently, her campaign is trying to get Wall Street to pour more money before announcing him.
Cool, cool
1 Like
They’re gonna blow it. All of this good, positive energy for the first time in years and they’re going to blow it by tacking to the right and turning off the very people that were on the verge of re-engaging. This election should be a blowout ffs and Dems are going to shoot themselves in the foot yet again
2 Likes
Tacking to the right is just good politics 
1 Like
This is why Shapiro ranks last for me. In reality, he probably didn’t have too much to do with it, but in politics, perception is reality, and this just looks bad. Especially when you’re running against a sexual harasser that we consistently call out about it.
https://x.com/LA2Ing/status/1818463462919479519