Conservative America isn’t surprised to learn most donations to the left are misspent.
In fact, money given to the Democrat Party and the political action committees (PAC) affiliated with the left is often tucked into the pockets of organizers to keep their corrupt behavior afloat.
So why do liberals expect so much more from conservatives? Is that their way of acknowledging Republicans represent the “moral majority?” Either way, we have to make some big changes for the 2020 election.
Sadly, conservatives are defrauded and scammed by PAC operators and fundraisers on or near every election cycle and during every major unfolding political crisis. Many self-proclaimed watchdogs sound one false alarm after another rather than expose the efforts of former allies of President Trump to line their own pockets. Such practices divert funds away from endeavors that would actually facilitate President Trump’s agenda. This is a major problem infiltrating many Republican campaigns.
Every election and political cause begs Americans with endless pleas for money. Often, these solicitations change the focus from the scandal of the day, whether it is pertaining to illegal immigration, Obamacare, Hillary Clinton escaping justice or Benghazi and Islamic terrorism. Then old PACs associated with dormant issues—along with the focus of neutralized politicians—are shifted to newly perceived money-making issues.
These groups run all sorts of polls and studies, and they know where the profit is to be found among conservative base voters who are searching for outsider candidates. But, their scams eventually take their tolls. Misguided conservatives think they are giving to a greater cause. Yet when the money is siphoned off by so-called “consultants,” results fall flat. Eventually, everyone gets burned and donations dry up.
Dismal Numbers
Just prior to the 2018 elections, the Tea Party Majority Fund raised $167 million and donated $35,000 to candidates. During this same period, Conservative Majority Fund raised $1 million and donated $7500, while Conservative Strike Force raised $258,376 and donated nothing to any candidate.
In 2014, out of $43 million raised by thirty-three separate political action committees supposedly affiliated with the Tea Party, only $3 million was spent on ads and candidates facing tough campaigns often highlighted in the appeals. The rest went to operating expenses, including $6 million to companies owned or managed by the operators of the PACs, according to a study by Politico.
Also in 2014, the Black Republican PAC raised $700,000, and it only spent one percent of those contributions on candidates and ads supporting them, according to government filings.
Additionally, it’s worth noting the 2015 National Draft Ben Carson for President PAC raised 13 million dollars, none of which went to Dr. Carson. Armstrong Williams, business manager for Carson, said: “People giving money think it’s going to Dr. Carson and it’s not … Our hands are tied. We don’t want people exploited.”
In 2016, Roger Stone’s Committee to Restore America’s Greatness raised $587,000 and only spent $16,000 for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Even worse, most of these PACs prosper off the outright blatant lies they tell conservatives. Milwaukee’s Sheriff David Clarke didn’t want to run for Senate in Wisconsin. Further, Laura Ingraham, Fox News host, wasn’t interested in running for Senate in Virginia. The PACs play the hero for conservative values and freedom against the many real threats of today, and some they invent, when they’re actually nothing more than coastal political operatives keeping most of the money for themselves.
Collateral Damage
All of this severely hurts the Conservative Movement in America. In fact, losing the House had many convoluted causes, and certainly misappropriating conservative dollars plays a big part. Consequently, losing the House severely damaged President Trump’s policy agenda. Instead of executing his offense, Trump is wasting precious time and energy repeatedly defending himself against a false narrative.
Imagine how different results might have been in 2018 if only $10 million of the roughly $177 million raised by PACs had been spent on real campaigns. Especially in the twenty House districts that Republicans lost by five percentage points or less. The extra $500,000 per campaign might’ve made the difference in Mia Love’s district in Utah. She would have won with only 625 more votes.
In Maine’s 2nd District, Bruce Poliquin needed about 3,500 more votes. Karen Handel, running in Georgia’s 6th, needed 8,000 more votes; and, in California’s 21st District, David Valadao lost by a mere 900 votes.
Over and over, little old ladies are called and emailed with dire news. These warnings claim America’s future is at stake if a certain amount of money isn’t raised within a specific time frame. Clearly, the nation is doomed. So, these little old ladies donate money that many of them really can’t afford. Because they love America. They believe their sacrifices make the world better. Unfortunately, they only make the telemarketers wealthier. In the meantime, conservative candidates are losing elections, biting the dust, convinced that if they had just had another few hundred thousand dollars, they might have been victorious.
Any Trump supporter or conservative should be livid.
Going into the 2020 election season, conservatives must do better. We need to make contributions directly to the candidate’s campaign office. Better yet, hand them directly to the candidate. Stop giving your hard-earned money over to the political hucksters seeking to cash in on the angst of conservative voters. If we do this, we’ll put a stop to the drain on the Conservative Movement. And we’ll finally see our money matter.
By: Justin Smith
