golden sloth said:
Anarchistbear said:
Throwing money at Beto or Nunes opponent is a waste. Both are going to lose. Closer races that are more important than liberal fantasies.
I agree, focus on the true tossups. Strategize for the battlefield you have, not for the moral victory you want. A 218 - 217 House majority is far more important than knocking Ted Cruz off if Republicans still have 51 other senators.
I remember talking to a kid in high school who the week before finals had three different classes he wasn't passing. He had a 68%, a 59%, and 40%. I told him to not study for the class he had the 40% in as even if he aced the final, he'd still fail the class, whereas if he focused on the 68 and the 59 he might be able to pull of a C- and pass. He couldn't comprehend that and insisted on focusing on the 40%, and kept saying a high 'F' is better than a low 'F'. In this case, Nunes or Cruz would be the 40%.
This premise jives well with conventional wisdom, but it fails to consider the funding source and availability of Democratic money.
ActBlue has revolutionized donation for the American political left. There are literally millions of donors now chipping in an average of $50 to a multitude of races. That's pocket change at an individual level, and $50 to Beto isn't discouraging his donors from chipping in a few dollars in other races.
People are donating to Beto because he's a charismatic politician running a positive campaign that has attracted attention. The sheer number of Democratic House candidates who have out-raised their opponents proves that donors aren't supporting a small number of candidates at the expense of many others.
It's the Republicans who are forced now to triage races. I would hate to be them right now banging on Sheldon Addelson's door yet again for another $100 million. I mean, what if he says no?
