So, the other day, Anthony Weiner makes big news, saying what needed to be said. That leads to big diaries here, and I made a comment:
Your welcome. I hadn't thought about it when I added the Act Blue link, I just did it automatically. Now, I realize why; at NN10, I was talking with the Act Blue people, and there was something in that conversation I couldn't put my finger on. But you had the answer, Act Blue is an immediate reward.
Rep. Weiner says something that provokes an immediate, positive reaction, he gets an immediate financial reward. Yes, he's in no danger, but someone in the campaign office notices, and lets staff know. After a bit, if we're consistent, I have hopes for a Pavlovian response; act/vote like a progressive and get a cookie.
Yep. This isn't a big, new idea, but thanks to the ActBlue folks in the exhibition hall.
Politicians are always running for office. Can't be helped, it's built into our system. They're either running to keep the job they've got or to get the job they want next. And then there's this from the ActBlue website:
How do my contributions get to the candidates?
At least once a week we send checks to candidates aggregating all the donations they've received since the last time we sent them a check. We will send checks more rapidly if warranted — e.g., if a candidate has an urgent need for the cash, if a filing deadline is coming up, or if the candidate has received a sudden surge of support from the online community.
At least once a week. That's what stuck in my head from NN10. So, if someone, a House or Senate member, or a state Representative, Senator or Governor says or does something we like, they get money a cookie within one week. House members are constantly running, every even-numbered year they face reelection. But Senators are in for six years, and the only folks sending them reelection money just after they've been (re)elected are the PACs and, thanks to Citizens United, the corporations. What if it were us, as well?
It doesn't have to be much. They're already in office, they have the power of incumbency, whatever that's worth in their state/district, but it happens the week they do something we like. A quiet "dependable" representative, a "Democratic but not progressive" Senator switches their vote, or speaks out in an unexpected way. Someone who's usually "off the radar" does something good, all of a sudden, their campaign office gets a check from a brand new ActBlue "account".
Can you train a Blue Dog?
Not to start a pie fight, but here's why I wanted to turn a comment into a dairy: Blue Dogs, DINOs, quislings, etc. are not our friends. Some of them are worse than Republicans; working/voting against us and then sucking up DCCC/DSCC/DNC cash for their reelection campaigns. I'm not speaking of the out-and-out lost causes, the Liebermans and Nelsons, but there are a few Blue Dogs that might be "trainable". I noticed in '08 that there were some freshmen House members who joined the Blue Dog pack, and a few of them surprised me, because they didn't need to, they ran as honest, if conservative people who would do what was right. Only after they were elected did they chose to align themselves with Blue Dogs. Are they reachable? Not to change allegiances entirely, but can they at least be convinced to quit the doggies? And are we willing it invest actual folding money to see that happen? Can we weaken the Blue Dog "Coalition" with cash?
Again, it doesn't have to be much. But a House member's campaign finance person who gets a first-time check from ActBlue is going to wonder why, and ask someone in the legislator's office. A Senator's campaign office, just after reelection, looking at another 5.5 year sinecure, that gets an ActBlue check out of the blue, as it were, is going to mention something to someone.
Is it worth it? I mean this is actual money here...
Yes, we'd be adding to the campaign coffers of someone we may be primary-challenging next cycle. And, we can never compete with the deep pockets. But, let's say that one blue dog, who never, ever received an ActBlue check says something we like and gets a cookie. Staff lets her know. Maybe she does it again. Maybe she lets her doggie-coalition members know. Yes, if we can, we'll primary her next time, but in the mean time, can our few dollars move the Overton window?
I don't know. Rewarding Anthony Weiner is a given. Rewarding our friends is a given, although a lot of diary-writers forget to use this link when saying something good about our friends. But actually sending money to Blue Dogs? To people we would want to defeat in primaries later? In exchange for encouraging the movement of the conversation our way?
I think so. Every office-holder in non-term-limited offices thinks/hopes to be in the game for the long haul. If nothing else, encouraging progressive speech with cookies, moving the Overton window can't hurt. What say you?