Blue Dog Financing Vs. Liberal Dem Financing
Just a little over four months, and 2010 will be upon us, that and means mid-term elections for Congress. Those elections are usually interpreted as a test for the political party that holds the White House. Some results of that test can be seen even now – not in victory or defeat, but in how the candidates choose to finance their campaigns.
As much as the campaigns of 2010 will be a test of the Democratic Party as a whole, they will be a test of the division within the Democratic Party – between progressive Democrats and the right wing Blue Dog Democrats.
To get a sample of how this internal Democratic Party contest is shaping up, let’s take a look at the campaign finance of a prominent Blue Dog Democrat – Mike Ross – and a prominent liberal Democrat – Dennis Kucinich.
As of this morning, just 22 percent of his campaign contributions so far come from individual donors. 77 percent come from political action committees.
Dennis Kucinich’s campaign contributions are almost exactly the opposite. 73 percent of Kucinich’s campaign contributions for the 2010 election so far come from individual sources. Just 24 percent come political action committees.
Blue Dog Democrat Mike Ross seems to be running a machine campaign. Liberal Democrat Dennis Kucinich appears to be running a grassroots campaign.
Democratic voters, which kind of campaign would you rather have your candidate for Congress run with?
