Can you explain the political emails again? (U.S.)

February 15, 2025 7:37 AM

So, I really have two basic questions with more specific detail inside: 1. what does the party mostly spend this money on, and 2. do the big names on these emails write or approve the emails?

1. Where does the money go, that the "Democratic Party" is trying to collect from me? Is this like, mainly advertising? And isn't the advertising money going directly to the pockets of the baddie corporations that run the media that is running the advertising? I mean, the politicians are already being paid for the job they were elected or appointed to, right? So does it pay for like, travel for people or what else kinds of things? (Sorry if this is super obvious) And,

2. do the people whose names are on these emails (Mark Ruffalo! Oprah Winfrey! Other random celebrity! Michelle Obama!) actually write them? (I think Cory Booker may have the highest count in recent months.) Do they at least approve them, when their name is used? I have been swayed to donate by a recent one with Jasmine's Crockett's name. But, did she write and/or approve that?

FYI I did watch Meet the Writer Behind Those Campaign Fundraising Emails Clogging Your Inbox, (but, it's The Daily Show)

I also read this article talking about the negative effects of fundraising emails.

And this one from The Center for Public Integrity (obviously not a federal institution, or it would no longer exist), which maybe suggests the named people may not know their name is being used. ALSO - I realize that sometimes the emails use the name without *actually* being signed by that person - but other ones DO seem to be signed by the named person.

posted by Glinn to Society & Culture (4 answers total)

1. Some of the money goes to actual campaign logistics: hiring staff, buses and planes to get around, hotels, office space, etc. But the vast, VAST majority of it goes to paying for TV commercials, and the "campaign consultants" grifters who funnel the money to those commercials and at the same time keep convincing the Dems that in order to win they need to a) buy commercials instead of doing grassroots organizing, and b) ignore their base and run as Republican-lites. Lefty blogger Atrios has a long-running "joke" about these grifters maintain such a stranglehold on campaigning b/c they need to pay off that yacht/second house/kids college education (they sure don't stay in business by running successful campaigns).

2. Not privy to the details, but I imagine that endorsers may write those things themselves (even if so they're prompted to do so) but more likely it's a phone call or email from the candidate asking "Can I say you said this?" Regardless, for most campaigns the endorsers do know and approve the message.
posted by Pedantzilla at 8:04 AM on February 15 [2 favorites]

I can essentially guarantee you that say Kamala Harris is not personally sitting down and drafting emails begging me for money, or personally reviewing every email. There would be a team of professionals writing them and a person or people deputized to approve them on her behalf.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:30 AM on February 15 [4 favorites]

Mods feel free to delete this tangential answer, I think it is at least on topic:
a) I replied to one of AOC's emails asking for money explaining why I did not contribute, never got a reply from any staff (not even thanks for your feedback)
b) Probably like the OP I get a lot of these emails to multiple email accounts of mine, and they usually start out with something like "F, this is serious" or "Bulk, this is serious", etc. which I take to mean they are just buying email lists blindly and have no idea what my first name or my political affiliation is (so buying email lists might be part of the money sink hole).
posted by forthright at 10:43 AM on February 15 [1 favorite]

I agree with showbiz_liz that while it might conceivably vary person to person, these people are all powerful/rich/famous enough that they have a full staff working on their behalf, and presumably it's their PR person (or team!) that approves the messages.
posted by coffeecat at 11:41 AM on February 15 [1 favorite]