One tip you can give to everyone who cares about democracy

Donating directly to candidates is almost always better than giving to PACs.

One of the most alarming things right now is the general lack of alarm about this November’s elections. Expect that to change.

And it could change in a flash. It could be the verdict in Trump’s criminal trial. It could be something involving the Alitos’ flagpole. It could be something we cannot even imagine but will seem inevitable in retrospect. Then suddenly the prospect of giving power to Donald Trump and the aspiring despots who support him will become unbearable, even to those who exert tremendous effort to keep themselves from ever thinking about politics.

In 2020, it was the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That’s what Charles Gaba, the activist who created Blue24.org and has helped raise more than $8 million for Democratic campaigns and has already raised more than half a million dollars this year, told us on last week’s “How are you feeling about democracy?” 

More than half the money he raised came in the weeks after RBG’s catastrophically unfortunate passing.

We need our loved ones, the non-earlyworms, to know one big thing before this sudden awakening happens: Giving to candidates is almost always better than giving to a Super PAC.

This it’s something Charles figured out when he did a little digging:

Like everybody else, I get flooded with fundraising emails. Many are from party organizations you've heard of and trust, but then you get them from PACs you've never heard of.

There are dozens of these: Make America Blue PAC, Take Our Country Back PAC, this PAC, that PAC, the other PAC. In some cases, they're fine. But some of them use very vague language. It'll have a picture of John Tester. John Tester needs our help. But when you actually click the link, it'll tell you. The money does not go to John Tester's campaign. It goes to this PAC.

How much of the money does the PAC give to him? Who knows? So I decided to look it up. I started looking at Open Secrets and the FEC, and I found that in some cases, only 30 percent or less of the money they raise is actually going to actual candidates.

All of us get bombarded by fundraising emails and texts. It will get worse. But giving to candidates directly, through the fundraising link on their site, is the most reliable choice almost every time.

There are exceptions; if you were thinking “There are exceptions!” you probably know what they are.

These include groups you trust and want to invest in – like Run for Something or States Project. 

But in general, direct giving to candidates you want to support is the best option. These can also take the form of group ActBlue pages, like Charles has created to support crucial State Supreme Court races, or Giving Circle pages, like our own Flipping Arizona page, where the money is collected and given directly to the targeted candidates. And, of course, abortion funds and groups you believe in like, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, always truly need and deserve our support.

But in general, candidates over Super PACs, unless you know why you’re picking that Super PAC. 

Go forth and let them non-earlyworms know.

********
EXTRA

This post from the great Robert Mann, who was an excellent guest on “How are you feeling about democracy?” offers excellent insights into what people in deep red (or deep blue) states can do to keep Trump out of the White House. It’s perfect for your loved ones who have church vibes and a preference for a sweet southern drawl.