June 17, 2004

6:42 PM

I'd like to make a presidential campaign contribution, but I want to avoid being put on any kind of list. Should I mail cash? I'm afraid to use a check or credit card. It will be under $200, the threshold above which the law requires the campaign to report my info. I guess I could do a money order. But are completely anonymous donations okay? If so, what's to stop someone from making 1,000 different anonymous donations of $150, and skirting the $200 law?
posted by scarabic to (23 comments total)

For anonymous cash contributions, the limit is actually $50.

I guess they figure it's too much work to get around such a low limit.
posted by smackfu at 7:08 PM on June 17, 2004

Smackfu is right-only when we made contributions of that size (on the gubernatorial level) they still wanted our name and info. It's just that at that level they don't make it public. It is not at all easy to donate without telling someone who you are. And yes, that includes cash donations. And this is why you find people donating to both sides of a campaign sometimes.
posted by konolia at 7:56 PM on June 17, 2004

I canvassed for the DNC for about a week; we were legally required to get the info of anyone who donated, even if it was 1.50 in cash.
posted by Tlogmer at 8:11 PM on June 17, 2004

Hm. Well, this is bad news. The thing is, I'm thinking of making a donation to someone I will very likely not vote for. I don't want to get on that person's mailing list and be hounded for cash for the rest of my life. I'd like to drop a little cash strategically, in lieu of voting for this person, and then disappear. Doesn't sound too feasible. I may have to keep it to $50.
posted by scarabic at 8:25 PM on June 17, 2004

How about that link on amazon? Do you suppose that will get you on a list?
posted by crunchland at 8:40 PM on June 17, 2004

Okay, I completely understand not wanting to be on a mailing list, but I don't get wanting to donate and not intending to vote. So you don't want to vote for this person, but you want to use your hard earned cash to get other people to vote for him? Guh?
posted by LittleMissCranky at 8:42 PM on June 17, 2004

You could give the money to someone else who already happened to be on those mailing lists, and have them make the contribution for you.
posted by jjg at 8:42 PM on June 17, 2004

Looks like it:

Will Amazon.com transfer information about me?
As required by law, Amazon.com will transfer to the campaign(s) to which you contribute your name and address (your credit card billing address), the employment information you enter, and the date and amount of your contribution.
posted by scarabic at 8:43 PM on June 17, 2004

Oh, I totally intend to vote. Just not for the candidate in question here.

I'm trapped in the same situation as a lot of lefties: I really want to see Bush go, but the only candidates who really appeal to me are whackos like Kucinich. I don't want to vote for Kerry. But my desire to see Bush go is probably an even stronger impulse.

I would like to contribute to defeating Bush. I believe that Kerry poses a serious challenge, and so I'll give him money. I may also contribute money to some super-lefty little guy. But my vote (I only have one) will go to someone I actually want to see in the White House.

Other people can vote as they choose. I don't see my dollars as taking that choice away from them. But I do think it would be good for all of us if Kerry was on equal financial footing with Bush.

You can only vote once. But giving money allows you to spread your support around strategically. It's a compromise/shotgun strategy. Make sense, though?
posted by scarabic at 8:50 PM on June 17, 2004

I guess it's also worth mentioning that I sort of presume Kerry will win CA, where I live, so I generally feel free to spend my vote in a symbolic way, on someone even further to the left. Maybe that's wrong. I haven't made my decision yet.
posted by scarabic at 8:54 PM on June 17, 2004

Remember that Kerry can only use this money until July 26th, then he's in the matching funds system.
posted by smackfu at 9:19 PM on June 17, 2004

scarabic, why not give to Kucinich if he's the one you believe in? I wouldn't give money to someone i didn't intend to vote for, and Kerry's been cleaning up, moneywise, especially given that once the convention happens, he can't use it. Maybe you could give to a senatorial candidate that really needs the cash, and matches you issues-wise? or to the party itself?
posted by amberglow at 9:34 PM on June 17, 2004

scarabic, are you seriously telling me you don't know anyone who wouldnt mind being on the Kerry list (or whatever they do with names) you could just give the cash to and have them send a check/credit card donation?

Paypal me the money and I'll put it wherever you want it.

That said, you should be able to ask to be removed from any future mailings and actually be removed from any future mailings.
posted by skallas at 10:35 PM on June 17, 2004

I say... Kucinich should get your money, Kerry should get your vote. Although I share your sentiment regarding the symbolic vote, we need to get Bush out of the White House at all costs. Voting for Kerry will symbolize your dissatisfaction with the current President. It's a close election year with the American public split fairly evenly. Every vote tips the balance.
posted by banished at 10:50 PM on June 17, 2004

So you get on someone's donation list. Big deal! You get more junk mail from commercial outfits all the time. What's another piece of "junk"? You can also donate to Congress critters who need support. Without a change in Congress, we won't see changes in law. They've passed some nasty laws that need undoing.

As for the vote: I would not want to make any assumptions about Kerry taking my state, concluding I can afford to vote for someone more liberal. Anyone but Bush is more than just a meme! Serious politicians know this, and won't foul the ticket with third-party spoliers.
posted by Goofyy at 10:51 PM on June 17, 2004

So you get on someone's donation list. Big deal! You get more junk mail from commercial outfits all the time.

Maybe there's 1/2 a tree's worth of catalogs in your mailbox every day, but not mine. Please contribute a useful answer to the question or move on.

Everyone, actually: with all due respect, please don't tell me what you think I should do with my money or my vote. I don't mean to be rude, but you'll notice I didn't get into the specifics at first, and this is why. LittleMissCranky, unable to fathom my reasons, implied I must be stupid, so I've coughed up my explanation. I did say I might *also* give to other candidates, too. I'm asking for ideas on how to donate anonymously, not soliciting advice on where to spend my vote or cash. Those are personal decisions, I'm going to make them for myself, and I ask you to respect that here, in the AskMe spirit of helping out.

I may do this through someone, as suggested, but I don't want to ask anyone I know to get all the junk mail for me, honestly. I might just do $50 cash anonymously and be done with it.
posted by scarabic at 11:07 PM on June 17, 2004

You could give the money to someone else who already happened to be on those mailing lists, and have them make the contribution for you.

That would be illegal.

Sacrabic, I don't care who you give your money to, but you do understand why these rules are in place, right? You alluded to part of it in your question.

You wouldn't want the Big Oil Company execs giving thousands of anonymous donations of $500 to Bush would you?
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 11:35 PM on June 17, 2004

Well, yeah, I get why they're there. I hadn't thought through that channelling through someone would be the same evasion as making multiple anonymous donations. Shoulda been obvious. Duh. Thanks.

Thankfully, the amount I have to donate seems to be in the allowable range.
posted by scarabic at 11:48 PM on June 17, 2004

Yup, what Steve_@_L said. Any irregularity in donations can result in significant fines to the campaign. I think enforcement is lax, but it's not worth it. Sadly, the politicians pretty much exempted themselves from all of the junk mail and telemarketing regulations.

I gave to Kerry, and have gotten only a receipt in the mail. But it's public info, so other groups will scrape my name and address, and sell it.

Other things you can do: Donate to a local campaign, Donate to groups that do Get-Out-The-Vote campaigns, esp. in key states. Donate to Kucunich, esp. to help them do their work at both national conventions, donate to whoever is working to keep elections fair and honest (and if you know who that is, let me know), write letters to the editor, at home and in key states, and get your neighbors to vote, and your Mom and cousins, etc., especially if they live in key states.

And vote for Kerry. He may not be your cuppa, and your state may seem secure, but your reluctance to vote for a good liberal Democrat is catching. Your voice may not seem important, but Florida 2000 should teach us all that our voices and our votes matter. The reluctance of liberals to sign on with "imperfect" candidates consistently hurts the cause.
posted by theora55 at 7:01 AM on June 18, 2004

537. Remember that number?
posted by GriffX at 9:15 AM on June 18, 2004

I don't mind getting on someone's mailing list as much as I mind my name and snail mail address showing up in database accessible to anyone on the web.
posted by terrapin at 9:17 AM on June 18, 2004

your reluctance to vote for a good liberal Democrat is catching. Your voice may not seem important

My whole point is that I do want to vote for a good, liberal Democrat, and I don't think Kerry is one. I think my voice is very important, which is why I'm planning to send a message to the DMC by voting further to the left. If they keep losing long enough, they will eventually have to change (or die). If I have to live under chimps like GWB for the rest of my life in order to stimulate some real positive change in the Democratic party, I will. I've given up on the lesser of two evils crud. I take the long, long, long view.
posted by scarabic at 11:57 AM on June 18, 2004

I don't mind getting on someone's mailing list as much as I mind my name and snail mail address showing up in database accessible to anyone on the web.

Do you feel that way just about your donations, or about other peoples as well?

What happened to the goal of transparency in government? That doesn't apply to you?
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 12:15 PM on June 18, 2004