Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

John Fetterman: Too Manly for Pennsylvania.  Paid for by the Oz for Senator campaign.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

You are here: Home / Politics / Ante up

Ante up

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You know the drill, we’re nine-hundred fifty-nine thou short of a mill.

Goal Thermometer

For 2012, John and I are in high-level talks with several prominent fund-raisers — on both coasts — about forming a 501c group tentatively named Balloon-Juice GPS. Until then, we’re doing this old-school.

Update. I had forgotten how much I love this video.

Reader Interactions

59Comments

  1. 1.

    TooManyJens

    Galt Pet Society?

    Going Postal Soon?

    Goddamned Pissy So-and-sos?

    I think it should be Balloon Juice FYWP.

    (“both coasts” is a nice touch)

  2. 2.

    ruemara

    I just got paid, so I got some buckers for you. Please don’t be the sort of organizing asses who set minimum donations at $20. My world can’t afford that.

  9. 9.

    arguingwithsignposts

    For 2012, John and I are in high-level talks with several prominent fund-raisers—on both coasts—about forming a 501c group tentatively named Balloon-Juice GPS.

    The Radical Center in the hizzouse!

  12. 12.

    JPL

    At this time, Coons seems safe and Feingold should be able to get a lot from other sites. Because of this I’m leaning towards 50 dollars each for Conway and Sestak. Does this sound reasonable?
    I hate to throw away money but I’m hoping these two can pull it out.

  14. 14.

    srv

    @JPL: Does anyone else have comments on the 10 candidates, who needs the money more, best ROI?

    And I’ll dollar match anyone’s contributions today up to $500.

  17. 17.

    Jules

    Arkansas State Senate Majority Leader Joyce Elliot is running against Tim Griffin (Karl Rove’s toady in the justice depart scandal) was named as one of the top crooked candidates for 2010 by CREW.

    They are running in Arkansas’s 2nd district which has had a great Democratic Rep. Vic Snyder who is leaving.
    Joyce is a pretty great gal who the DCCC decided this week to not support and they pulled their ad dollars at the beginning of the week.
    Here’s her website:
    http://www.elliottforcongress.com/

    She was a teacher and a union rep which of course makes her evil in the eyes of the teatard GOP folks here in AR.

    I haz a sad that she lost her ad funding……

  18. 18.

    JPL

    @srv: No but I might ad another 50 for Patty Murray. She is now trailing by 3. You can match my contribution.. 150.00

  19. 19.

    Martin

    Woo! Let’s primary Kucinich and Sanders from the left!

    I’m surprised you didn’t go with Balloon-Juice SFK just so you could explain that on Maddow some night.

  20. 20.

    MikeTheZ

    God, what I wouldn’t give to see an ad in 2012 that ends “Paid for by Balloon-Juice”.

    Though I think it should be DFH

  21. 21.

    RandomChick

    @srv:

    I kicked in $20. For what it’s worth, I hear the smaller market means you get more advertising bang for your buck in Alaska.

    A question for the general BJ population: What are your thoughts/experiences with Drinking Liberally?

    I was disappointed to find that there isn’t a chapter in my part of NC. However, given that this is a college town, I think there may be a market for one.

    Would it be worth the time and effort to start a chapter, do you think? Anyone else started a chapter or know anyone who has?

  22. 22.

    DougJ is the business and economics editor for Balloon Juice.

    @srv:

    I just gave to Callahan.

    I haven’t decided which Senators to give to yet. I might give to Blumenthal.

  23. 23.

    JPL

    @srv: That’s a great contribution. By matching those who can afford 10 dollars now theoretically are doubling that amount.

  24. 24.

    DougJ is the business and economics editor for Balloon Juice.

    @RandomChick:

    Anyone else started a chapter or know anyone who has?

    I ran a chapter for quite a while and it was fun. A couple tips: (1) be prepared for a lot of “Obama sold us out” stuff and (2) pick a venue you like, so you have a good time hanging out there anyway on slow nights.

    I gave it up because I was traveling too much and because my closest political friends didn’t like the “Obama sold us out stuff” and thus didn’t like to come. Also too, the Massa debacle took a lot of the wind out of everyone’s sails.

    I met a lot of cool people in the process though. For a while, it was a terrific chapter.

  28. 28.

    General Stuck

    Welcome to the Jungle

    A Democratic operative sends Ben Smith a summary of outside media spending on Senate races from August through last night and calculates the GOP holds a more than seven-to-one advantage.

  31. 31.

    DougJ is the business and economics editor for Balloon Juice.

    @RandomChick:

    No, it kind of died. There was no one else who was really right for running it besides me.

  34. 34.

    Mnemosyne

    @RandomChick:

    Unfortunately, stuff like that only works if there’s at least one person who can make the permanent commitment. I can’t tell you how many writer’s groups and knitting groups I’ve seen die because the person who started it couldn’t keep up with the work of sponsoring it and everyone else just kinda drifted away.

  37. 37.

    suzanne

    I’m still all unemployed ‘n shit, so I’m afraid I can’t help financially. WIll volunteer for Mitchell and Goddard again next week, though.

    O/T, but I just got back from chaperoning my daughter’s class on a field trip. I realized that I simply had not LIVED until I heard a school bus full of second-graders singing Katy Perry’s “California Girls”. I am proud to say my daughter did not know the words. Now to scrub out my ears with bleach…

  38. 38.

    RandomChick

    @Mnemosyne:

    That is a bummer, but I’m thinking some good could come from doing this, even if it’s only for a year or two.

    Assuming it was a success, and folks actually showed up, I’d want to stick with it through the 2012 election, at least.

    I guess what I’m wondering is if these groups can make a difference, and get folks involved in the political process . . . OR should I consider it a success if it just gives me the opportunity to get hammered with like-minded folks. Where should I set my sights?

  39. 39.

    Nick

    @Mnemosyne: I think this is a problem though. The left can’t seem to keep a sustainable political movement going past a single election or issue.

  40. 40.

    blahblahblah

    Yeah, that video is a real find. Have to say, I swiped it for a FB update it’s so funny!

  43. 43.

    jake the snake

    @ General Stuck

    From our believe it or not GOP family values files.

    A new Public Policy Polling survey in New York finds that just 4% of Republican voters support building a mosque near Ground Zero—but 21% say they would support building a strip club in the same place.

    You heard it here first

    .

    As I was told by a winger, “Those strippers didn’t fly airplanes into the World Trade Center”.

    The fact that the people opening the community center didn’t either did not seem to work its way into his mind.

  45. 45.

    Nick

    @Bob Loblaw:

    1. Money
    2. Money
    3. Fucking Money

    so what’s the answer? Rich people aren’t going to abandon what works for them to fund us. What’s the answer?

    Before I get accused of saying “Nothing can be done” again.

  47. 47.

    TuiMel

    @srv:
    I just anted up for the fourth time inspired by your offer and the efforts of others, and, of course, I can never resist the Muppets.

    Go team!

  49. 49.

    Paula

    @Nick:

    Um, that’s because there is NO cohesive “left” political movement in this country. There are a bunch of people working on individual issues, but they’re pretty atomized as to be ineffective in building a larger movement.

    Building a larger movement takes a class of dedicated organizers outside of the mainstream parties who can identify common policy goals, articulate them clearly to the public, and bring people together in plans to achieve those goals. Among the people who have A-list blogs and/or show up on TV to represent “progressive” viewpoints who may have the opportunity of reaching wider audiences, there are none whom I believe to have the intellectual capabilities for such a task.

    Someone else I’ve read said something to the effect of organized people being the only method of combat against organized money. Progressives have neither, it seems. So: failure.

  51. 51.

    TuiMel

    @srv:
    I think your pledge should be left to match others who are on the fence or wanting to make their money go further. I love what you’re doing.

    Thanks!

  52. 52.

    KDP

    I just kicked in another $30.00. Boxer, Murray, Feingold.

    @srv:

    What TuiMel said. Unless there are an insufficient number of fencesitters to make the match. In which case, feel free. It’s my second set through BJ (I was the very first, woot!!), but I’ve also donated time and money independently.

    BTW – Rally to Restore Sanity, SF satellite looks to be happening.

  53. 53.

    Mnemosyne

    @Nick:

    It’s not just the left — it’s the human condition. There’s a reason why Republicans built their strategy around conservative churches that already have an infrastructure so that, even as members come and go, the hierarchy is still there to keep things running.

  54. 54.

    JCJ

    Just donated another $300 to Feingold. I live in a heavily Republican area – all those signs for Ron Johnson make me ill. At least I get to see Feingold signs when I visit my daughter at the University of Wisconsin.

    Also, too I like Cookie Monster’s singing…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZeciX-3wfs

  57. 57.

    DougJ is the business and economics editor for Balloon Juice.

    Thank you to everybody who contributed.

  58. 58.

    300baud

    A suggestion for next time you do this: allow us to opt out of mailing lists.

    I recently gave a chunk of money through the Balloon Juice/ActBlue thing, with the intention of giving more later on in the month. But I’ve received a bunch of junk email, which I hate, and now I have to try to unsubscribe from at least 10 different lists.

    If past experience is any guide, donating again will put me back on all the lists. And regardless my address may get passed around, which means more lists to get off of. I hate it, and would be much more comfortable giving money if I knew it wasn’t like sticking my hand into a box of hungry vampire bats.

  59. 59.

    srv

    I wasn’t sure if some numbers were for each or a total, so I broke it down to this:

    Jack Conway (KY-Sen) $50
    Scott McAdams (AK-Sen) $50
    Joe Sestak (PA-Sen) $0
    Russ Feingold (WI-Sen) $190
    Richard Blumenthal (CT-Sen) $0
    Scott Harper (IL-13) $50
    Barbara Boxer (CA-Sen) $30
    Patty Murray (WA-Sen) $80
    Chris Coons (DE-Sen) $0
    John Callahan (PA-15) $50
    Total $500.00

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