Posted on 08/22/2004 7:10:34 PM PDT by CHARLITE
Latest Release...August 22, 2004 Whos Betting on Whom?
The Death of One More Myth
Written by JB Williams
©2004-08-19
In my last article, I laid to rest the notion that Kerry/Edwards were anything short of the two biggest political prostitutes in Washington in terms of sucking up special interest soft money. Despite Kerrys anti-special interest campaign rhetoric, no McCain-Feingold legislation was going to keep the king Kong of soft money shake downs out of this Presidential race. (Next to marrying rich women and dodging fellow veterans, its one of Kerrys few true talents.)
However, Kerrys socialist billionaire buddys and Hollywood wackos wont be able to overpower the votes of average Americans come November, people growing sicker by the minute of the most obscene election campaign in US history, courtesy of Kerry and the DNC.
527s, 501s and PACs are investing record sums in this election, (sure to reach a billion of that money outlawed by McCain-Feingold), and clearly, Kerry/Edwards are the landslide beneficiaries of all this dough, at least 88.5% of it as opposed to Bushs 8.5%.
The real question is who are the voters betting their money (future) on? Part of his stump rhetoric is anti-special interest hyperbole, but Kerry has a clear 10-1 advantage over Bush in sucking up special interest money, more than $186 million as of the end of July from 37 of the top 50 political action organizations in the country, and a few more.
So what about individual contributors, average American voters, who are they betting their hard earned money on? Its no secret that individuals base their contributions on who they feel best secures their future. So who do they believe in enough to put their money where their mouth is? I did the research, and found the answers quite interesting!
Based on IRS reports of campaign contributions for each candidate filed as of August 15, 2004, individual contributors in nearly all professions seem to feel quite different from the special interest organizations propping up the Kerry campaign. Heres how individual contributions break down by the top 26 contributing professions, according to legal campaign filings with the IRS. (By candidate grouping, working sectors are listed in order of who contributes the most).
Voting Blocks
Candidate by %
Retirees
Bush 62.90%
Real Estate
Bush 78.20%
Securities & Investment
Bush 72%
Misc. Business
Bush 69.40%
Health Professionals
Bush 66.70%
Misc. Finance
Bush 76.20%
General Contractors
Bush 100%*
Business Services
Bush 55.80%
Commercial Banks
Bush 76.70%
Insurance
Bush 100%*
Civil Servants/Public Officials
Bush 60.60%
Manufacturing & Distributing
Bush 100%*
Oil & Gas
Bush 100%*
Automotive
Bush 100%*
Accountants
Bush 100%*
Computers & Internet
Bush 52.70%
Construction Services
Bush 66.90%
Hospitals & Nursing Homes
Bush 67%
Lawyers & Law Firms
Kerry 58.40%
Education
Kerry 71.50%
TV/Movies/Music
Kerry 100%*
Publishing & Printing
Kerry 100%*
Other (?)
Kerry 100%*
Democrats/Liberals
Kerry 100%*
Professional Lobbyists
Kerry 100%*
Non-Profit Institutions
Kerry 100%*
As of this report, these top 26 contributing professional sectors have donated a combined $142,469,466 to the candidates in individual contributions within campaign finance limits, a combined 61.8% of that to the re-election of Bush, and only 38.2% to John Kerry and the DNC.
You will notice that of the 26 professional sectors, only 8 are betting their money (future) on John Kerry, and it is very interesting (revealing) to look at which ones those are .
(1) Lawyers, [an obvious one for obvious reasons]. (2) Education Professionals, [equally obvious considering Bush has made them responsible for leaving no child behind]. (3) TV/Movies/Music, [still wondering if the media tilts left?]. (4) Publishing, [as in newspapers, and magazines, still no surprises]. (5) Other [anyone know what profession this is?]. (6) Democrats & Liberals, [anyone know when this became a profession?]. (7) Ah ha! Professional lobbyists, 100%* [anyone (dead from the neck up) surprised by this one?]. Last but not least, (8) Non-Profit Institutions, [like Rainbow PUSH coalition maybe?].
Think this is a new trend? Think again
Kerrys Senate career has been paid for by Trial Lawyers, Labor Unions and Lobbyists for years. John Edwards bought his own (one term) Senate seat with $6,150,000 of his own money, $2,676,293 from buddy trial lawyers, and a scant $426,152 from actual individual contributors. Check it all out here at www.OpenSecrets.org
In 2000 (pre McCain Feingold), the top 50 soft money contributors invested some $125 million in the Presidential candidates, 73.1% of which went to the Al Gore campaign.
At the end of the day, the message couldnt be any clearer. First, without special interest soft money, there wouldnt be a DNC or a Kerry ticket, which explains why they wasted no time circumventing McCain-Feingold.
Last, regardless of Kerrys campaign bluster about being the choice of working men and women, working men and women in 18 of 26 sectors are betting their money on Bush!
Put that in your peace pipe and smoke it a while!
JB Williams Political Columnist www.JB-Williams.com JBW@JB-Williams.com
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