I'll be blunt: Now is the time for all Democrats to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.That's how we'll win in 2020: By making it clear that we're fighting for working people.
We’ve got a real problem in this country: Money has too much influence on our political leaders.
Candidates spend too much time with wealthy donors behind closed doors — creating a direct relationship between wealth and access.
It’s an old playbook. Other Democratic candidates are living by it, and relying on big donors and fancy fundraising events to pay for big chunks of their campaigns.
The way you fund your campaign influences how you govern and who you fight for. It’s only natural: More time with rich people and corporate executives, and it’s easier to see the world through their eyes.
But I’m running to be the best president money can’t buy. I don’t sell my time to rich people, I don’t give big donors any special access to me, and I don’t take a dime from federal lobbyists or PACs.
I’ll be blunt: Now is the time for all Democrats to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
That’s how we’ll win in 2020: By making it clear that we’re fighting for working people, not cozying up to the rich and powerful.
Here’s a question you can ask all of the candidates: “Where do you get your money? Are you getting it from a bunch of millionaires — on the phone, or in conference rooms at hedge fund offices, or at fancy receptions and intimate dinners?”
I’m running exactly the type of campaign I want to run: Grassroots, through and through, with grassroots contributions from people like you reading emails like this one.
But usually, on the campaign trail and in Washington, money doesn’t just talk. It screams.
It’s been estimated that up to 70% of a congressional candidate’s time is spent with potential wealthy donors — trying to get them to give, or as a reward for doing so.
It’s safe to assume that goes for presidential campaigns too, and presidential donors are disproportionately white, male, and wealthy.
Look at the 2016 election: The electorate was more diverse than ever, and yet 91% of donors were white. Only 3% of Americans were millionaires, but 17% of donors were.
The wealthy and well-connected have been taught by politicians to expect that more money buys more access — they’ve done it for generations, and it too often closes out women and people of color. We have to do things differently.
We need to fight back against big money on the campaign trail.
Democrats deserve a chance to choose a nominee whose time is not for sale to people who can write big checks. That means proving we can run a campaign solely powered by grassroots donors.
