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Dave Dayen reported this morning on Greg Sargent’s scoop about big LGBT donors withholding donations from the Obama campaign over the President’s refusal to sign an executive order on ENDA. Paul Yandura, spokesperson for Jonathan Lewis (son of Progressive Insurance’s Peter Lewis) has this to say to Gregg:
A number of gay and progressive donors, unsolicited, have indicated to us that they aren’t considering requests to donate to the Obama SuperPac because of the president’s refusal to the sign the order. And those are high-dollar asks, some in the seven digits. We have heard from at least half a dozen major gay and progressive donors that they stand united with us. There is still time for the President to do the right thing and sign this executive order, our great hope is that he does so immediately.
Unless I miss my guess, “we have heard from at least half a dozen major gay and progressive donors” is code for what used to be known in donor circles as “the Cabinet” or “the Gay 8.” The group has grown over the years, and it includes many of the biggest Democratic Party donors of the past decade. In addition to Jonathan Lewis, it now includes David Bohnett (Geo-Cities), Jon Stryker (Stryker Corp), Tim Gill (Oracle), James Hormel (Hormel), Henry van Amerigen (International Flavors & Fragrances), Linda Ketner (Food Lion), Weston Milliken (Milliken & Co.), Esmond Harmsworth (Daily Mail) and Laura Ricketts (Chicago Cubs).
While most in the group have already maxed out to Obama campaign and the DNC, that’s small potatoes. The Obama campaign has recently been tapping members for multi-million dollar donations to the 527s – but according to Open Secrets, all conspicuously missing from the top 2012 election cycle donors.
The White House is pushing back on the Sargent article and telling journalists that there really are no problems. But if that’s the case, where are the traditional LGBT 527 donors? They should name the ones that already have, or plan to donate.
The decision of LGBT donors to shut off campaign donations over Obama’s refusal to sign an executive order on ENDA has tremendous downstream implications. It could have serious consequences for members of congress who rely not only on LGBT donors themselves, but who will need well-funded GOTV support for 2012 as well.
LGBT donors can check to see whether the names of their representatives appear on the naughty or nice lists when it comes to signing the letter to President Obama, asking him to issue an Executive Order on ENDA.
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The problem for Obama is worse than mentioned lower level executives at big companies often follow the CEO’s lead as far as campaign donations go.
When these CEO’a throw Dem or GOP fundraiser parties these executives for career purposes kind of have to attend the party and pony up.
If these CEO’s are not giving then their lower level executives are probably not giving either.
I wish I had some numbers on how much CEO’s tend to give to both parties and how much lower level executives follow suit and how much they give.
If the Gay 8 won’t give cash Obama might get by but if this story gets some coverage then Obama is in a tricky position bad press of any kind is still bad press.
Also Obama’s stand won’t win him a single GOP vote so politically why do it why risk Fox yelling Obama has problems with Gay voters Fox loves Democrats angry at Obama stories.
Does Obama seek to trade with the GOP on this issue somehow?
I
Obama is a coward. Let him be afraid of a good cause for a change.
Works the same way for issue donation. Where the billionaire gay donors go, so do the rank-and-file. They can shut off the spigot very cleanly.
If Obama lets this story get big he risks Gays not volunteering for his campaign as well as risks losing more Gay cash. If Obama gives in after this story gets big Fox News will claim Obama gave in to Gay Pressure this will make Obama look weak.
Sure nobody who watches Fox will vote for Obama but being made to look weak hurts Obama. So its best Obama change his mind now before this story gets big.
Anyway to track those numbers in the future if Obama lets this issue go on?
I expect Obama to do what he has done so far – nothing. His position was clear before he was elected, and has been fairly consistent since. He hopes to convince GLBT voters to hold their noses and vote for him, and then after he is re-elected (which I think he will be), gay rights will have no place in his second term.
Still, I think it is a very good thing to push for an end to ENDA. If this push were not to take place, Obama would continue to drift to the right with many of the elected Democrats following his lead. The Democratic Party, which used to champion equality, has been noticeably silent in the past half decade. So keep pushing Obama and force him to try to create some wiggle room for himself! Make him at least pay some lip service to the GLBT community; if he stop paying lip service the GLBT community will take notice; if he continues with the lip service, the GLBT community will begin pushing for him to start acting on them. It’s a win-win-win.
Is there any good reason organized labor can’t use the same leverage? Obama has done bupkis for them.
Technical question. When does a demand like the one being made by the donors here cross the line into “quid pro quo?” I support the move, and think a lot of progressive causes ought to use the same pressure tactic. But only if it’s legal to say “We’ll give you money so long as you do X.”
> The White House is pushing back on the Sargent article and
> telling journalists that there really are no problems.
This administration creates its own reality, you see.
While we fight for gay rights we ignore that these donors are capitalist fat cats. See the film about Hormels bad meat, their union busting, their mistreatment of Mexican workers. This is why liberalism–and identitarian politics–are dead, morally bankrupt, a spent force, why an Obama can keeop the likes of Jane Hamsher running on the hamster wheel all day and night without getting anywhere.
I am SO tired of P. Obama being such a coward…Just once do the right thing.
I am unhappier each day that my candidate, Hillary Clinton, was not nominated…and elected President. You can bet your Ass that she would so the right thing.
I too am REALLY glad to see this happening. I’m sick of Obama’s trashing every progressive idea, under the belief of “where are they going to go,” and I’m sick of fraidy-cat Dems being unwilling to hold Obama accountable and make him EARN their votes.
Do Dems really think the Tea Partiers got so strong, and got so many members of Congress to do their bidding and be afraid of speaking out against them by saying, “just do whatever you want. We’ll always support you.” Hell, no.
Thank you, Jane, for writing this.