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By Alex Seitz-Wald
WASHINGTON – The most coveted donor of the Democratic presidential election for 2020 may not be a financier or a Hollywood producer, but a midwestern teacher who pays $ 25 a month to his favorite candidate .
Small dollars are more important than ever because they can help organize and engage a large and committed group of supporters who are investing more than just money in a campaign.
"Small-size donors will be a crucial part of this election, both strategically and practically," said Erin Hill, executive director of ActBlue, the central information center for Democrats on donations. line. "Small donors do not just give, they vote, volunteer and tell their friends why they care about a candidate's candidacy."
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Proved that his supporters, or at least 225,000 of them, were still engaged when he had raised $ 6 million Wednesday, the day after the launch of his presidential campaign.
Rufus Gifford, national finance director for President Barack Obama's re-election efforts in 2012, described the report as "truly remarkable". noting on Twitter that he was skeptical, Sanders could match his 2016 effort: "I was wrong."
Senator Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Announced the lifting of $ 1.5 million on her first day of racing, while Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Announced winning $ 1 million during its first 48 hours. The other candidates have not published any figures, but the FEC data indicates that Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Has raised about $ 300,000 online via ActBlue on New Year's Eve, when she is not paying more. she announced the creation of her exploratory committee.
Sanders, of course, had a long lead thanks to his previous presidential course, which helped him develop a pool of donors the size of all other potential candidates combined, according to a recent analysis of the New York Times.
But the good news for the rest of the current White House hopeful group is that there are now more opportunities than ever for left-wing candidates to tap into grassroots fundraising – if they know it.
"As donors get younger and younger and people are more and more used to the Internet and the campaigns are getting richer, there are very large amounts of money," he said. Teddy Goff, one of the most influential digital strategists of President Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Goff recalled that, until 2012, people were calling on the Obama campaign to make sure the online donation was safe.
Now, thanks to Amazon and everything Americans do online, digital financial transactions have become second nature. And thanks to President Donald Trump, Democratic voters are eager to open their digital wallet.
In mid-term elections last year, ActBlue processed more than $ 1.6 billion in online donations, up from $ 782 million in 2016 and $ 335 million in 2014, five times as much. in four years. (Last month, Republicans established their response to ActBlue after years of false starts.)
And as online donations have become frictionless for Democrats, the party has become increasingly hostile to traditional modes of financing and big money in politics.
For the first time, the Democratic National Committee will allow candidates to qualify to participate in party debates if they can obtain donations from 65,000 people in at least 20 different states. In the past, only candidates with some support at polling stations were allowed to participate.
"Because campaigns are won through their grassroots, we have also updated the threshold, giving all types of candidates the opportunity to reach the debate stage and giving low-dollar donors a voice." more important than ever before in the primaries, "said the president of the DNC, Tom Perez said in a statement announcing the change.
This is already changing the strategies of some campaigns, with lesser-known candidates such as Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, continuing this path up to the debate stage.
Tara McGowan, founder and CEO of the digital democrat Acronym, said smart campaigns urged donors to "feel ownership" of the campaign and gave them other meaningful ways to engage, such as volunteering or posting on social networks.
"You run the risk of viewing digital broadcasting as an ATM for the campaign," she said. "You miss a real opportunity to help amplify your message if you do not engage people who are already raising their hand."
At the same time, large donors simply do not have the same value as before, excluding groups that can receive unlimited contributions such as super PACs – and almost all major 2020 candidates have already sworn them .
For Democrats, big checks may also have a political cost, especially if they are written by people working in certain industries targeted by the left, such as finance, fossil fuels and pharmaceuticals.
While major donors can expect something in exchange for their largesse, a photo-op with the candidate for an ambassadorial post in France, the one who gives $ 5 counts only on a feeling of connection with the candidate and solidarity with other small donors. .
For example, Warren recalled that during his first race in the Senate in 2012, a young man had approached him late at night on a subway platform to tell him that he was working overtime to donate to his campaign every month.
"I felt like he'd hit me with a spear just between the ribs," Warren wrote in his book, "A Fighting Chance." "God – this kid was working until about 11 o'clock on Saturday night and he was sending me money? I smiled weakly and I said something like : "Uh, I'm fine in the countryside. Maybe you should keep your money. I'm fine. Really. "
But she says that he looked back and replied, "No, I'm part of this campaign – it's also my fight."
The first major fundraising test for each candidate will take place at the end of March, when they will have to submit their first quarterly reports to the FEC. Initial fundraising figures are scrupulously reviewed by party insiders and the media, reflecting the strength of the candidate. Historically, they have been a better predictor of success than the first polls.
While Democrats fight for their primary race and chase small taxpayers, they are not alone.
Trump's forces have spent more than $ 4 million on Facebook ads since the month of November to expand their fan base. 75% of funds raised during his campaign in the last quarter came from donors who donated $ 200 or less.
"Realistically," said ActBlue's Hill, "our candidate will have to be funded primarily by core donors in order to defeat Trump, who is already receiving widespread donor support of a certain amount." modest."
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