The left loves to brag about their fundraising game, especially when it comes to small donations, but things are not going well on that front at the moment. Perhaps Democrat donors just aren’t very excited about the prospect of another term for Joe Biden.
Politico reports:
‘Whistling past the graveyard’: Dem fear grows over massive grassroots fundraising hitOne of the best online fundraising days for Democrats this year was the day of Joe Biden’s campaign launch — but even that day’s haul was meager compared to his campaign kickoff four years ago.That’s among the findings of an analysis of fundraising for the first half of the year through ActBlue, the party’s primary donation processor. Small-dollar giving at the federal level totaled $312 million in the first half of 2023 — a drop-off of more than $30 million compared to this point in the 2020 cycle. The platform also had 32 percent fewer donors in the second quarter this year compared to four years prior, although its total fundraising increased slightly due to several factors, including more recurring donors and greater giving to non-federal groups.“Because small donors are a proxy for enthusiasm, if people aren’t concerned about the drop-off in contributions, then they just aren’t paying attention or whistling past the graveyard,” said Ari Rabin-Havt, who served as deputy campaign manager on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign. “The impact is from top to bottom. You can see it in the ActBlue number, you can see it from the DNC down through every group. There has to be a quick examination among Democrats about what is creating this enthusiasm gap.”
The harsh truth facing Democrats is that this is not just about Joe Biden. Even the outfit behind AOC is hurting for cash and laying off employees.
The Washington Free Beacon reports:
‘We’re Not in a Great Place’: Democrat Group Behind the ‘Squad’ Lays Off Half Its StaffA prominent left-wing organization laid off half its staff last month, a further sign that Democratic groups are struggling to stay afloat.Justice Democrats, a progressive group founded in 2017 following the failed presidential run of socialist Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, in mid-July let go 9 of its 20 staffers, Politico reported. The group works to help elect far-left candidates and is largely credited with helping create the “Squad” of House lawmakers that includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.).”It’s no secret that Democratic and progressive organizations like us are in a difficult fundraising environment right now,” Alexandra Rojas, Justice Democrats’ executive director, told Politico last month. “We had to make tough decisions to remain one of the most impactful progressive organizations in the country for years to come.”Progressives are worried about the state of the movement in light of fundraising and growth struggles.
Are the Democrats just victims of Bidenomics?
It’s hard to give donations for political purposes when inflation is so high that you’re worried about things like food.
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