Last weekend I called up www.fundrace.org to check out their new Neighbor Search feature for the presidential fundraising sweepstakes.
After some experimentation to find the best Zip Code to represent Montana's capital city in which I live, I brought up the disturbing results. Fundrace.org was showing the Federal Election Commission filings for all total donations above $200 (although a couple less than that snuck through) for the calendar year of 2003.
There were 41 contributors to presidential candidates in the greater capital "metro" area in 2003. Since Montana is basically a state of small towns, I personally know, or know of, most of these people. Starting from around $200, here's the totals:
Two contributors gave a total of $450 to General Wesley Clark. These folks were the founders of the Clark Meetup group in town. A tip of my baseball cap to these comrades in arms.
Next up are the five stalwart folks from our Howard Dean Meetup group, plus two Dean supporters I don't recognize, for a total of $2,347. Thank you folks, I have never worked on a campaign with better people, and I have worked on more than a few!
Lastly, are the 31 people that gave George W. Bush a total of $27,900 for 2003. I grimly reviewed the names. Former and present republican governors, $2K and $1K donations. Major realtors and members of the construction industry. Right-wing lawyers from major local law firms. Most of the executives of the major health insurance company (bastards). A scattering of professional lobbysists (to be expected). One lobbyist, now retired, who in the 1980s referred to environmentalists and conservationists publicly as "communists". I would call him a Nazi, but that would be stooping to his level. Fascist.
With a great sigh, I spent some time entering the zipcodes for other major Montana towns, Missoula, Kalispell, Butte, Bozeman, and Great Falls. The pattern varies little. Tens of thousands of dollars raised for Bush, mostly in $1K and $2K chunks. Next, a group of Dean supporters (only one of which gave the $2K limit). A few Clark and Edwards supporters. And two lonely Kerry donations, along with a couple of Kucinich and Sharpton contributors.
Now, Montana as a state has trended more conservative, (almost right wing nut) since the progressive heydays of the 60s, 70s and 80s . But these figures are still shocking. Many towns such as the state capital, are true democratic strongholds. The repubs have given huge sums of money. Where on earth are the rest of the demos???
The Howard Dean supporters are not the heart of the Montana democratic establishment, yet they were the most generous of the non-Bush contributors. Only one elected democrat gave to Dean, Clark, Edwards or Kerry in 2003 that I could find.
These figures tell me several things.
Republicans have more money to give, but they do put their money where their mouths are. The regular party demos gave little in 2003. Us former Dean supporters can take a commanding role in the state democratic party.
And I am going to support Kerry as much as I can financially. I won't let these people buy Bush a second term.