General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHarris faces first big test as oligarch demands her compliance
This appearance was followed by reporting that theres a Silicon Valley fundraising tour for Harris being planned by none other than Reid Hoffman. Ok, so its pretty stunning for an oligarch like Hoffman, with a net worth of a couple billion dollars, to publicly make such a demand. So why is he doing it? One reason is that theres a lot of money involved. As the Lever reported, Hoffman is on the board of Microsoft, which is right now being sued and investigated by the FTC. Its a pretty good gig, if you get to fire the law enforcer investigating your misdeeds.
https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/billionaire-orders-kamala-harris
Everything about this gives heft to the postulations that wealthy "tech bros" pressured Democratic politicos to squeeze out Biden to avoid the 46th POTUS' economic policies. Those policies would have continued Biden's record of trying to aid the middle class and working poor.
If Harris doesn't tell this arrogant billionaire to stuff his donations up his rather sizable keister, it will be her first major misstep in the election. She is already being painted by right wing media as a parrot of the "RItchie Richs" who wanted a mouthpiece in office. It will be quite easy for the Trump/Vance campaign to take advantage any Harris compliance with Hoffman and elevate their standing with average Americans.
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Irish_Dem
(55,272 posts)I don't think it was the whole equation.
But part of it.
misanthrope
(7,877 posts)It is hard to dispel the notion it was a factor.
Irish_Dem
(55,272 posts)It takes money to win a presidential election.
And people with money want candidates who can win elections.
People with money cannot get power with candidates who do not win.
wnylib
(23,503 posts)It gave quite a few details with some links, if I recall correctly.
I don't doubt the involvement by tech oligarchs. It's how things are done sometimes - or at least it's what attempts are sometimes made.
servermsh
(1,259 posts)Biden decided to bow out because of his energy level (and perhaps because he looked at polling).
edisdead
(3,117 posts)CoopersDad
(2,670 posts)misanthrope
(7,877 posts)and hasn't been for a long time. We don't know everything that went into Biden's decision because he didn't enumerate them in his speech on Tuesday. It was likely a combination of several things.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Big donors werent refusing to donate because they already had What they were reporting is that they could encourage new donors after the debate. But that wasnt blackmail, it was reluctance to donate to what people thought was a losing effort, as opposed to donating to races that were still competitive.
not fooled
(5,972 posts)Some big donors who had legitimate concerns about the race, and other big donors who want to be able to dictate aspects of the candidate's administration.
GiqueCee
(1,156 posts)You're not paying attention. What is infinitely more likely is that Joe knew that a great many democratic pols down-ticket in tight races were about to see their Big-Money donors yank the financial rug out from under them if they didn't go all et tu, Brutus on Biden.
The fact that this asshole felt confident enough to overplay his hand and say the quiet part out loud, means that they think that they have the pretty lady between a rock and a hard place. Here's hoping her resolve is strong enough to tell him to shove it, and then quietly suggest that there might be an investigation in his future if he doesn't watch his step. Such a brazen quid pro quo cannot be ignored.
Skittles
(156,721 posts)acting as if there were no other issues whatsoever
kcr
(15,463 posts)Tell us you haven't been paying attention without telling us you haven't been paying attention.
Tweedy
(840 posts)did not go on CNN and demand the VP not pursue antitrust, regulating cyber etc?
ALBliberal
(2,754 posts)there was no outrage about Biden accepting his money.
Saw the guy on 11th hour last night.
Hes very anti Republican
wnylib
(23,503 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,510 posts)Publicly Funded Elections.
jimfields33
(17,887 posts)more than 400K. All positions should have a max of the salary position they are going after. Its gross to spend a billion dollars for a job making 400K.
mountain grammy
(26,987 posts)Bucky
(55,334 posts)You don't get to hand down ultimatums just cause you're a jillionaire.
Harris is a logical and persuadable leader. But people have to argue inside the Democratic process
Fiendish Thingy
(17,233 posts)jimfields33
(17,887 posts)brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Perhaps The Big Newsletter has an ideological bent?
As the only person here on the Oligarch Committee, perhaps Im just more appreciative of generous Democratic donors.
misanthrope
(7,877 posts)Here's the column archive:
https://substack.com/@mattstoller
Mister Ed
(6,251 posts)Is this being accurately reported?
If this is accurate, then it seems to be a description of a blatant quid pro quo of the same sort that we roundly decried when Trump told oil industry execs that he'd do their bidding once in office if they contributed a billion dollars.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)snip
Lina Khan is a person who is not helping America, Hoffman told CNN in his first on-camera interview since President Joe Biden stepped aside as the presumptive Democratic nominee. I would hope that Vice President Harris would replace her.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/26/business/reid-hoffman-kamala-harris-ftc-khan?cid=ios_app
Perhaps a substack described as The history and politics of monopoly powe has a bit of a bias?
Mister Ed
(6,251 posts)misanthrope
(7,877 posts)Just to even it out.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)misanthrope
(7,877 posts)Self-governance requires constant vigilance.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)I dont have nearly as much money to contribute but I give enough to attend the same meetings, get face time with our candidates and Party leadership etc.
In the meantime, the Biden and now Harris campaigns built their financial model around a large influx on cash from megadonors. Im not going to ask them to unilaterally disarm.
Tweedy
(840 posts)snot
(10,641 posts)Talk is, after all, cheap.
That said, if they can't bring themselves to at least say what I want to hear, they're probably not going to be able to bring themselves to do what I want them to do.
DarthDem
(5,334 posts)https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/26/business/reid-hoffman-kamala-harris-ftc-khan/index.html
BluenFLA
(75 posts)It will come in drips as low level members of Congress start mouthing off to corporate media that she can't win or laughs too much or some other nonsense. Then the bigwigs jump into the bandwagon and so on.
Seriously, something has to be done to get rid of the fat cat donors who think they get to choose who runs for office. That won't happen anytime soon, but this cannot go on.
rubbersole
(7,863 posts)...prevail in this election--your vote and opinions will never matter again. It's people vs unlimited money. Like Kamala says - "Bring it on."
Grins
(7,658 posts)Been saying it since the Bush II years of terror - The government should pay the cost of all elections from State Governors to President. Money, personal or donated - banned!
The half-way attempts of the past have failed. Go nuclear.
wcollar
(186 posts)Get elected.....
Then tell him to get stuffed!
What's he going to do?
IronLionZion
(46,572 posts)she seems to be raising plenty from small donors.
Mister Ed
(6,251 posts)We need to keep donating what we can, not only to the Harris campaign, but to the campaigns of vulnerable legislators who may otherwise be desperately dependent on large donors.
betsuni
(26,988 posts)Biden's policies help the middle and working class, but we're supposed to be scared and angry that Harris will spinelessly "comply" with all the bad oligarch demands and have to be a corrupt beholden elite forever and ignore The People because of campaign contributions. Same old corruption accusations against Democrats.
brush
(56,163 posts)to pitch in like he did in 2020. He's worth way more than Hoffman.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)The campaign will be happy to have his support?
brush
(56,163 posts)Hekate
(93,384 posts)Theres also a clip of Hoffman on CNN, but unfortunately only 10 seconds. I just say all this in case someone does not want to go to the link.
Than you misanthrope, for the heads up. What a revoltin development.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)In the meantime the campaign needs the money.
WinstonSmith4740
(3,135 posts)Pretty sure this is why the UAW hasn't endorsed yet. I've seen Shawn Fain in interviews, and he can talk all he wants about "procedure"...sounds to me like he wants to name the VP. Hopefully with the kind of money she's raising,, Kamala can tell these American oligarchs to fold it five ways & stuff it.
AllaN01Bear
(22,149 posts)brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Just like me? And you?
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)
and I suggested how she should frame her message in her upcoming college tour.
Was that unfair?
Volaris
(10,439 posts)dobleremolque
(816 posts)usonian
(12,075 posts)I left ages ago. Not only was it a cesspool of spam, but was hacked, so that my old email address gets tons of spam in perpetuity.
As for politics, tech bros be tech bros.