Activists pledge to withhold millions if Obama cuts entitlements

Source: Raw Story
By David Edwards

If President Barack Obama gives in to Republican demands to cut Social Security and Medicare, it could cost him.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) delivered a petition with the signatures of 200,000 donors and volunteers to the president's re-election campaign headquarters in Chicago Friday.

Organizers said that Obama will have to get re-elected without their help if he slashes the social safety net.

During the 2008 presidential election, the group claims it donated $17 million and 2.6 volunteer hours.

More at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/07/18/activists-pledge-to-withhold-millions-if-obama-cuts-entitlements/

...in the last quarter. Somebody must like him.

I don't oppose any individual or group pressing their case, but I'm not sure this is their strongest argument.

Bankers.

boasting about that. He will win, he's done a good job for them and unless one of the Republicans running can promise them more, I doubt they are not happy with his work on their behalf so far.

Withholding money by the people is absolutely the right thing to do. With the WH, no matter who occupies it, so beholden to Wall St, the people have to put their money behind Congressional candidates and over time build a strong Congress that will keep the WH in check.

So, true, he won't miss our small amounts of money, although they are still asking for it, but if SS is cut, most Democrats will not be sending a dime to the presidential campaign.

Congress is where the people have power. That is where the money and effort needs to go from now on. And local elections of course.

Two-thirds of Obama campaign cash from small donors

By Eric Johnson
and Kim DixonPosted 2011/07/16 at 1:31 pm EDT

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, July 16, 2011 (Reuters) — Nearly two-thirds of the $86 million cash haul raised by President Barack Obama for his re-election effort in recent months came from small donations of under $200 or less, according to filings released on Friday.

Earlier in the week, Obama released top-line data on his campaign from April to June, breaking a prior fundraising record by former president George W. Bush. The $86 million includes $47 million raised by Obama's campaign itself and $39 million raised by the Democratic National Committee.

The numbers underscore the campaign's promise of targeting small-dollar donations instead of powerful political action committees as the Democratic incumbent seems re-election in 2012.

More than 65 percent of the funds raised by the Democratic incumbent's campaign, Obama for America, were from donations of $200 or less, according to FEC filings.

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre76e715-us-usa-campaign-obama-cash/

Two-thirds of Obama campaign cash from small donors

By Eric Johnson
and Kim DixonPosted 2011/07/16 at 1:31 pm EDT

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, July 16, 2011 (Reuters) — Nearly two-thirds of the $86 million cash haul raised by President Barack Obama for his re-election effort in recent months came from small donations of under $200 or less, according to filings released on Friday.

Earlier in the week, Obama released top-line data on his campaign from April to June, breaking a prior fundraising record by former president George W. Bush. The $86 million includes $47 million raised by Obama's campaign itself and $39 million raised by the Democratic National Committee.

The numbers underscore the campaign's promise of targeting small-dollar donations instead of powerful political action committees as the Democratic incumbent seems re-election in 2012.

More than 65 percent of the funds raised by the Democratic incumbent's campaign, Obama for America, were from donations of $200 or less, according to FEC filings.

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre76e715-us-usa-campaign-obama-cash/

The 65% is of OFA receipts - that is, 65% of 47 million. That works out to about 28.2 million in donations of $200 or less. If you use the $200 as the base line, that's slightly more than 1.4 million small donations. Of course, some would be less, so let's say it was roughly 1.5 million small doners. Out of some 55 million Democratic voters.

Looks like overwhelming support to me.

:eyes:

Sure looks like overwhelming support to me. 260,000 new donors, too! :woohoo:

In that case, these numbers are astounding. Just wait until 2012 Q2. :D

Looks like you guys are still in need of a candidate.
If you're going to oppose Obama, you'd better move quickly, as time is running short.

Trust me - I spent the weekend with him.

Our donations would be dismissed along with our opinions. So, the donations will be withheld. The votes: it's wait and see.

And ... if nothing happens at all, then what ... ??

Will this group beat their prior numbers? Meet them?

What?

Yeah, like I believe that these idiots donated and supported President Obama wholeheartedly in 2008. :eyes:

An Obama delegate (along with my wife) to our state Democratic convention (my son was an Obama delegate to the county convention).

We idiots, those you so casually dismiss as PUMAs and freepers, were the base of his election. His new base is Wall Street.

Oh how proud you must feel!

..."dumb motherfuckers"?

Personally, names don't bother me much. I did enjoy the "dumb motherfucker" comment from Hamsher only because it made her look like a complete ass. Just curious to know how you felt about it.

Sincerely,
A "Dumb Motherfucker"

P.S. I still consider myself part of his "base". I don't work on Wall Street. I'm an underpaid graphic artist with no health insurance and a son in the Marines. I'm also an active member of my local Democratic Party. I always thought his "base" was comprised of people from all walks of life. Even folks like yourself. And, probably a handful from Wall Street. I do know he has some supporters on military bases around the world. I also know quite a few Progressives that still support him. I don't know one single person on Wall Street. Good movie, though.

Their Hillary supporters jumped aboard the Obama wagon immediately and never looked back! The rest were glued to his speeches and did extensive research on his past and were absolutely positivo that he was a Progressive and would never disappoint them!

;)

but how many votes did Nader get in Florida in 2000?



"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone


"By their WORKS you will know them."

... considering most of them were probably anti-Obama in the first place aka. PUMAs, astroturfing freepers, or paid Koch Brothers right wing trolls.

I'll take the 260,000 new donors to the Obama campaign over these foolish malcontents any day.

I'm guessing that your "reasoning" is that it fits your worldview to believe that no one who actually supported Obama in 2008 would now express any dissatisfaction with him.

Well, you may find the truth unpleasant. You're certainly entitled to the opinion that we're misguided. But you just make yourself look foolish when you deny that we even exist.

I went door-to-door for Obama in 2008. I don't expect to do so in 2012. I'll vote for him, but my volunteer time and energy will be devoted to progressive candidates in downticket races.

I've been criticizing Obama from the left for some time now. If the Koch brothers have been paying me to do so, all I can say is that they're damn slow getting the check cut.

Why don't you ask them for evidence? Or is your demand for evidence purely based on whether you like what you hear? :eyes:

On that list, were they "ALL contributors" (the standard you want to set)? I'm sure they aren't. There are probably some right-wing fraudsters, some apolitical adolescents just getting their lulz, etc.

BUT if you read DU, you'll know that at least some genuine progressives have lost their enthusiasm for Obama because of his conservatism. That's backed up by plenty of other sources, too.

Obama raised about $650 million in the 2008 campaign. The group is claiming that its members donated $17 million. Do you find it utterly inconceivable that the discontent extends to 2.6 percent of the donor base? I think that 2.6 percent understates the defections, because many '08 donors never even heard about the pledge.

As against that, of course, Obama will pick up quite a few new donors. Some of them will be centrists who, in 2008, fell for the right-wing lie that he was "the most liberal Senator." His repeated disproof of that lie has saddened some of us but gladdened them, and they'll now donate.

I'm resigned to the fact that the Obama re-election campaign is happy to trade away us "professional leftists" in exchange for support from further to the right. In terms of maximizing Obama's re-election chances, that cynicism is probably correct. It would be good for party unity, however, if the Obama enthusiasts would stop pretending that the rest of us don't exist. Most of us will vote for Obama. The more that we're accused of being Koch hirelings or "fucking retarded" (per Rahm), however, the more people will get so ticked off that they can't even bring themselves to cast that vote.

Real Democrats have woken up. We WILL NOT support a politician simply because they put a (D) behind their name when they VOTE LIKE A REPUBLICAN.

or is that too much to ask? :shrug:

I expect to vote for Obama, but to devote my volunteer time, and any money I can afford to contribute, to progressive candidates in downticket races.

You see, Obama isn't competing with Bachmann or Romney or the like for my support. He's competing with people from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. In fact, once I get past your somewhat snarky tone, I appreciate your asking this question, because it's a chance to clarify that criticism of Obama doesn't mean support for right-wingers.

the grateful rich will cover the slack and then some.

So, why isn't he making that promise?

worked for and voted for the Trojan Horse in 2008.

same thing. I will not give until I see what they do on the debt ceiling. I have called senators, and congressmen and told them the same. I keep getting phone calls for contributions or letters. I tell them the same thing. I will hold out. Cut programs forget my vote and my money.