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Politics

Donor Fatigue Hits a Tapped-Out, Despondent Democratic Party

December 5, 2016 - 6:00am
John Morgan
John Morgan

Some of the biggest whales among Democratic donors -- millionaires like Orlando's John Morgan -- say they need a break after Hillary Clinton's loss. A long break. Nearly a month after Donald Trump's shocking upset, they still "feel like they just set their money on fire."

The Hill newspaper claims some top donors may never return to the fold. They invested to the tune of $550 million believing Clinton would dispatch Donald Trump and deliver a Democratic congress. Now they see the 2016 election losses up and down the ballot as dysfunction in the Democratic National Committee, which won't elect a new leader until February.

Making matters worse, the names of many donors were released in the WikiLeaks hack of Democratic emails. "It was a mortifying development that has rattled some of the party’s big-money men and women," said writer Jonathan Easley.

"I may very well be done with political giving entirely," said super-donor attorney Morgan, one of Clinton's top fundraisers in Florida. "My message to anyone reading this is, ‘Don’t call me, I’ll call you.’ From here on out, I’m giving to charities. I’d much rather give money to build a new Boys & Girls Club than to give to the [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee].”

Some Democratic leaders urge their prize whales not to forsake the party, that Democrats are in the throes of a full-scale and expensive rebuilding project. Sure, the party is rudderless right now, they admit, but in the spring the DNC should be humming again.

Investor Marc Nathanson, one of Clinton’s top donors and fundraisers in 2016, told The Hill he has no interest in hanging around until, participating in, the party's rebuilding efforts but would continue to give money and support to Democratic candidates in gubernatorial and mayoral races in his home state of California. Beyond that, he said, he won't lift a finger. 

“The feeling I get from big donors out here in California is that they’re not only extremely disappointed, but they’re shell-shocked,” he explained. “So to turn around and say, now it’s time to rebuild the national party and the DNC, I just don’t see it.”

Many state Democratic parties have said they "left it all on the playing field," and now are operating in the red, or close to it.

"Dark money" meister David Brock, the liberal political operative whose umbrella of groups include the opposition research firm American Bridge and the watchdog group Media Matters for America, says he has the cure for donor fatigue.

He has invited 225 current donors and 175 prospective donors to a meeting in Palm Beach over Trump’s inaugural weekend, in his effort to fund a web of liberal groups he hopes will rival the Koch brothers’ network of influence on the right.

Brock is looking to super-charge his group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, in hopes it will rival the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch. During the presidential race, Judicial Watch was highly successful in bedeviling Clinton for her missing email, particularly in keeping it in the public eye.

Brock told Easley, "I was at Hillary Clinton’s concession speech, and there were a number of donors present. Some came up to me and said some version of, ‘We’ll continue to fight; tell us what to do.’ That has gotten me very quickly into a rebuilding mode. It was encouraging and surprising because so many were in shock. A lot still are.”

Republicans went through their donor fatigue phase after Jeb Bush (who had collected $100 million) backed out of the Republican presidential primary. GOP megadonors spent $200 million supporting their presidential candidates who didn't make it to the final three. But Real Clear Politics, among others, say ultimately, whales in the red camp recognized the importance of keeping the Senate pro-growth -- and serving as the final backstop to confirm or reject federal regulators and judges. They came back. And now Trump has "re-energized" them.

Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith

Comments

Losing is what makes them question where their money goes? Yet it's acceptable for the DNC to cheat Sanders supporters (who are their fellow Americans), hire thugs to harm people, loot, destroy during Trump rallies, Hillary's email server, Benghazi, deleted emails, Obama Care, etc., etc., etc. What were they expecting for their money if Hillary had won? What is going on in this country?

The pendulum has swung a little to the right. It is as predictable as clockwork. Give it another 8 years (likely only 4 years with all that has been promised) and the disenfranchised will be back in full force... It will likely only take 6 months into the next administration for the anti-mov't to start. It will just be history repeating itself and the sheep will still be oblivious to everything except their party ideology...shame really...classic.

At the state and local level, the pendulum has been swinging right for 6 years. It will again in 2018, due to the nature of midterms. It's not quite so cut and dry.

Dems are decaying from deadwood Beltway leadership and staff, from pre-deciding nominee Hillary just because she's been around so long (and being a woman), and now digging in their heels by re-electing Nancy Pelosi as Dem House leader. It's what happens to every fallen empire: isolation, inbreeding, seize mentality ... and fall.

Funny you used "biggest whales" and referenced "John Morgan" in the SAME opening sentence! AND THEN described the best use of "FIRE" I've heard in over five years....! The "Demo-Whigs" earned, and deserve, the introspection and attendant pain that has been forced upon them (by their "own hands"). THIS is exactly what "Hope & Change" ACTUALLY feels like, and it's refreshing that they FINALLY got to experience it for themselves...

John "The Whale" should run down to his doctor and get a prescription,... and then "smoke it"!!! (Ain't "justice" GREAT ?).

This illustrates just how disengaged the big Democratic donors were as was their party, the media and the pollsters. Never sensing the mood of the electorate changing and adjusting accordingly. Jeb's backers too. The drink the same kool aid while pontificating they know what's best for the citizenry who they see as clueless. Lemmings no more, this election has redefined the voter dynamic and put 'politics as usual' in the crosshairs. I am a Independent who like others similarly minded saw through the rhetoric and political pabulum to send a message, they can ignore the true voter sentiment at their risk. It's no longer the 'party', it's the candidate's compass heading to chart a new course.

Well said. Thank you.

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