Donor Data Shows Clinton Collecting Checks From Working Class Voters -- And Their Bosses

All the focus of late has been on the white working class. Hillary Clinton's decisive victories in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky have pointed to her strength and to Barack Obama's weaknesses among these once-Reagan Democrats, many of whom in 2006 returned to the Democratic fold.

But if you take a look at Huffington Post's Fundrace site to check out who the nation's corporate honchos - CEOs - are putting their money on, you'll find that Clinton is simultaneously the darling of blue collar whites and of their bosses, the folks at the top of the heap.

Taking all donations of $4,600 (the maximum an individual can donate) by self-identified CEOs, Hillary crushes the entire field: she collected $1.05 million from those who like to summer in the Hamptons and winter in Aspen. In contrast, Obama pulled in a paltry $329,000 from this
class. John McCain, the current standard bearer of the party of corporate America, was far, far behind, with $50,600.

Fundrace is a site where you can find out, with ease, to whom your friends and neighbors have made contributions, along with such interesting factoids as:

* Ben Stiller and Bette Midler each gave Clinton $4,600, while Ben Affleck and Matt Damon each gave Obama $4,600, the maximum allowed by law;

* Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward each maxed out to three candidates, Clinton, Obama and Chris Dodd.

Beyond that, there are some broader, intriguing trends to be observed on Fundrace - specifically the impact of Internet-credit card giving on the geographic distribution of donations. Compare the pattern of Democratic and Republican campaign contributions in 2004 and in 2008.

On Fundrace maps showing where donations come from, the blue (Democratic) dots indicating individual contributions in 2004 are limited almost entirely to the East and West Coasts, with very occasional blue spots appearing around Chicago, Denver and just north of Albuquerque. By 2008, blue and purple (signaling contributions from both parties) dots have spread much more extensively from the coasts into middle America.

Fundrace maps of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, in turn, demonstrate a striking pattern of donations to Clinton and McCain and Obama.

All three candidates do well in the upscale suburbs of Mclean and Alexandria, Virginia, and in affluent Potomac and Bethesda, Maryland.

Clinton and Obama reach further than McCain into liberal Montgomery County, Md., and into the District of Columbia. Where Obama stands apart, however - and this is quite dramatic on the map -- is in his fundraising success in the African American suburbs of Maryland's Prince Georges County.

Comments

[Peddler]

All the giving hasn't done much for Hillary's campaign..­.........l­ike throwing money into the tiolet......and to call Hillary the darling of blue collar white workers...­..........­.you are really stretching it........but stretch as you may........will only cause the chord to snap........just like Hillary.

[Vern58]

If these "working class" people knew this it would make no difference. When you are dealing with a cult of personality no amount of truth,logi­c,thoughtf­ul opinion or objective reality. Her base of support treats her like the Virgin Mary and they are going on the great crusade. It bears more of a resemblance to religious zealotry than a political campaign.

[lucky54]

If she manage to do so well with donors, how come she is always in debt???? Bad money management....hmmm we already have someone in WH who spends like a drunken sailor.
That's one of the reasons I don't support hillary.

[Daly]

I am guessing that the $ number of donors were from months ago not too many are willing to pour $ down a rat hole and the working poor should not be willing to pay for Mark Penn and her overpaid staff. Now I wonder how it is she cannot manage to pay her bills?

[indyny]

ONLY to pay herself back..... literally throwing good money after bad.

[Felicty]

Hillary's here!

Keep an eye on your purses, ladies!

[flyguy14222]

It's almost like Obama taking money from all of those Energy exec's!

[paganmist]

Unlike the money from energy execs that Clinton's received, his were not from lobbyists. In fact, these people were bundlers.

Have you ever worked at a company that called for company-wide donations to a cause? You have the option of contributing if you believe in the cause, but you don't have to. Often it is to charity - most of my companies have bundled for Red Cross or others. They collect donations from employees who are moved to donate, and then they donate the money in one lump sum.

In other words, what you are complaining about - bundling - is the fact that individual employees of some oil companies - people who are Americans are are just as deserving of the right to vote for the candidate they support as you are - donated to a company-wide bundling effort.

Those people who didn't support Obama didn't contribute money. They weren't forced to.

You're trying to create negativity where there is none. These weren't lobbyists trying to win something for their cause, though I'm sure you'll try to spin it that way.

If you want to point fingers, check out all of Hillary's lobbyist support. THESE are the people who expect something in return. The question you should be asking is - what has she promised these people, and will it benefit or harm the American public?

[ddharder]

Great post. One of the big reasons that Obama gives me some hope is that his support has been by and large grass roots making him far less beholden to lobbiests.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

Hillary Clinton is actually making me have kinder thoughts toward George W. Bush. His pervasive habit of lying seems almost benign compared to hers. I shudder to think what what happen if pigs flew and she actually was president.

[Daly]

Agreed; she and her husband have in comparison made Bush look - uhg - more sane.

[Faxus]

I used to enjoy visiting Huff but it's become like Fox News here, all bluster & no substance. Drudgereport is simply a better site, I have seen the light. Huffer's Post sux. Her hits are down...

[Kim445588]

And yet, you are still here.

[Felicty]

Then leave.

[bvbocan]

Embedded Journalist are commenting that Senator Clinton has been seen consuming alcohol on the campaign trail with increasing frequency and that her breath often reeks of liquor.

Recently in Puerto Rico, she was seen dancing in a drunken manner to music by Enrique Eglasias at a winding down gathering and gulping down local beer. It was reported that she occasionally stumbled seemingly off balance and had to be steadied by her concerned aids.

Reliable sources posit that Mrs. Clinton is known to be lover of the bottle in private. However, the stress of the campaign has caused her to be more dependent on alcohol for comfort.

[Daly]

there is not proof of this but we do have her in pictures throwing back shots in a PA bar. What would happen if she needed to go to betty ford, would the VB step in or would billy force his way to the helm.

[ddharder]

Stick to the issues. Giving credence to unverified rumors just smacks of the low road that the Clinton campaign chooses to tread.

[VOTER]

Does Hillary believe all of her UNPAID VENDORS donated their goods and

services to her campaign? Their contracts prove the opposite.

She certainly isn't thinking about them when she loans money and accepts

money for her campaign and STILL DOES NOT PAY THESE HARDWORKING

AMERICANS.

SHE IS A DISGRACE! HER UNPAID BILLS ARE PILING UP AND SHE DOESN'T

GIVE A DAMN.

[ddharder]

Why would anyone give a woman with $100M in the bank another penny knowing full well that she doesn't have a lick of a chance to grab the nomination anymore.

It's probably the same people that send their hard earned dollard to Crefro Dollar and Paul Crouch hoping to buy a miracle.

Barnum was right.

[debwarot]

I am delighted and relieved to hear that Hillary has some campaign contributions rolling in. That means there will be less spent by the Democratic party to retire her campaign debts after Obama gets the nomination.

[mesuki]

Hillary Clinton is a shameless huzzy!

[the964kid]

Hillary is still atleast $20 million in debt - so apparently these donors aren't giving enough!

[paganmist]

Precisely.

If Hillary was "America's Choice", it would reflect in the amount of money donated. It is easy for people to think that every Obama supporter is wealthy or upperclass, when the truth is that most of them are normal people, who are willing to take a hit to their pocketbooks and bank accounts to support their choice.

Why aren't Hillary's supporters willing to do the same?

I think a group of people who have failed to give their candidate the proper financial support shouldn't be so quick to scream about how unfair this has been. Hillary wouldn't be in debt - and would be able to command a far larger audience - if she had the money she needed.

I certainly hope that every person here complaining about Hillary not winning has donated the legal maximum to her campaign. Words mean nothing, as Hillary has often said. Complaining and threatening to withhold a vote is a cop-out. The real proof of support is how much you are willing to give and risk.

[kira181]

That's what's so magical about Obama. He doesn't take donations. He's post-donationist.