A Democrat of six decades standing, you’d believe Roger Williams, a retired journalist, would welcome emails from Nancy Pelosi, Madeleine Albright, Adam Schiff, Paul Begala and Carole King. They’re all raising money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee( DCCC ), and Williams hears from them and other party luminaries multiple times a day.
Their message:” We don’t want to beg, but we have no options left. Every top Republican is jetting all over the country to line their coffers and DESTROY our Democrats … It’s unreal Roger, if we can’t fight back, we have no chance to take back the House … That’s why we’re not too proud to beg .”
And that’s all in one email. Roger has given money for years, but never more than $ 35 a pop, and the DCCC ” grumbled” him, his word, when he hadn’t yet ponied up for the midterms.” It was so curt and nasty ,” he told the Daily Beast, recounting what he’d given in 2017″ and nothing since then .” The tone as he recollects it,” don’t you realise how important all this is? We expect you to do better .”
Roger says he resents the DCCC’s” scare tactics and incessant pounding for more money .”
He resumed dedicating small donations two months ago when the congressional map of winnable seats expanded, but ensure” BEGGING you, Roger” in the subject line of an email last week situated him off, with its warns of GOP bigwigs raking in the bucks while Democrats “have nothing left,” as another DCCC email wailed.
He fired off this response to the DCCC:” You guys must stop hectoring people like me continuously for campaign contributions, especially to counter Republican appeals to their fat cats. Dems have fat cat, too, or they used to, and they also have pols and other Name who will travel to drag in bucks. What &# x27; s happened to all those people?
” Further, you guys are supposed to be political pros. Your job is to win elections, which includes figuring out how to do so in races that are difficult. Whining about being outspent and groveling before people like me for a few bucks is not the way to accomplish that. Do your G.D. tasks! –Fed Up in DC”
A former reporter, novelist and bureau chief for Time Magazine, Williams said in an email to me that he dreads the aggressive fundraising” is a sign of their weakness and absence of political abilities .” He mocks the scare tactic,” Pence is coming to Wherever to Raise Money !!!” as not only feeble but near-contemptible.” Aren &# x27; t Dem luminaries doing the same, with just as good results? If not, why not ??”
Leading up to last Tuesday, an Election Day in several states, Williams was sorting through emails calling for donations to Democrat Danny O’Connor’s campaign for Congress in a special election in Ohio’s 12 th congressional district.” I don’t have a lot of fund for this kind of stuff, even for Danny O’Connor whom I’ve never heard of–he does have a nice smile though ,” Williams allowed.
The email said Danny was ” within striking distance of a MIND-BLOWING upset … if we don’t step up for him in the next 12 hours, our shooting to win is completely gone. That’s it. This is make-or-break .”
He tapped out a response to the DCCC, questioning this” total fixation on money–outside money at that ,” and the strategy of” it’s all up to us, in DC and California and Massachusetts and who knows where else, to elect Danny. Somehow that doesn’t seem like representative democracy .”
Then he heard from Danny himself, or whoever writes Danny’s fundraising emails. In bold kind to Roger,” Without your help in these final 9 hours, I won’t be able to fight back … I’m counting on you one final period: Will you rush$ 1 before the polls close at 7:30 pm to win my district and win the House ?”
All gifts are triple-matched, so$ 1 becomes$ 3–but nobody dedicates one dollar, or do they?” I do ,” says Williams. Why?” Because I get these appeals from them .” Even so, he questions whether asking for$ 1 is cost effective. It wouldn’t have been back in the working day of snail mail, but the internet attains it an easy incentive.
The DCCC’s email program created $5.5 million online in June, with the average donation $20. The overall sum created online this cycle is $65 million with over 387,000 first-time donors. The solicitations operate on an algorithm, and Williams’ pattern of giving builds him an ideal target as someone who is gettable and can be brought back into the fold.
He applauds Democratic efforts to go after small gifts, but adds that” it’s the way they’re doing it is very aggravating. They lead with absolute panic time, panic day all the time. This election, whether it’s its important one, I don’t know, but yes, I think it’s terribly important or I would not have given any money–but it’s NOT all about money and these people make it sound like it’s all about money .”
The DCCC must be experiencing some backlash from its aggressive tactics because you can call their main number in Washington, DC and go to a specific extension to have your name removed from their list.
Alternatively, Williams could do what many people do, they don’t open the emails.” I’m punish myself ,” he says.” I have to take a look. What are they saying now? Bottom line, it’s always money .”
With O’Connor down by merely about 1,500 votes as of Friday, the DCCC voiced the alarm warning that” by Ohio law, we may be headed towards a massive AND expensive recount … We need 10,000 gifts before midnight to fund his recount and elect Democrats like Danny .”
Williams was dubious.” I would check that claim ,” he said in an email.” If the recount is’ by Ohio law ,’ not is necessary in one of the candidates, it stands to reason that Ohio will pay for it .”
The email ended with the familiar ask,” Will you rush$ 1 immediately ?”
Not many people devote only a buck. It’s a come-on, of course, and it works. And if Danny actually has to pay for a recount, Williams says he’ll chip in,” political fundraising’s favorite verb ,” he notes.” I do, after all, very much want him to win .”
Read more: www.thedailybeast.com