Hatesgiving

Or, The Hate U Give (which I just learned was a book and a movie? Am I so out of touch?).

Anyways, with the news that a Democrat has entered the Senate race in South Carolina to run against Lindsay Graham, I feel the need to say: Please do not give any money to a Democrat running a Senate race in South Carolina who does not have a reasonably chance of winning, or even a theory for how they would win (because they won’t).

Democrats love giving money to candidates with nothing but a decent bio and a wing and a prayer if they are running against the senators they hate the most. And you—I mean they—are just burning their money. Money that could use exchanged for goods and services. Money that could be better donated to a candidate with a real chance of winning an election.

How many people have run against Ted Cruz? I’m sure they’re decent people. We certainly share musical tastes. But, come on, nobody is beating a Republican in Texas right now. No matter how funded. And most senate campaigns are already really well funded! It’s not a money game: there is already plenty of money. No, you have to run against the reality that no Democrat has won state-wide office in Texas since Ann Fucking Richards (who is cooler than anybody else in politics, maybe ever). And she ran so long ago that you could say that she was on LBJ’s coattails.

Anyways, Democrats love giving money to people running against the people they hate the most. Remember the Air Force person running against McConnell? The guy who basically owns the entirety of the Kentucky political apparatus? Lots of money. Lost by a lot. Had a good bio though.

Sure, money is necessary to be competitive in races, and we’ll probably need to start trying to win races we shouldn’t have a chance in. But—but!—money is necessary but not sufficient. And because senate campaigns are already well funded, your money is pointless. Give your money to a marginal House candidate. Give your money to an awesome school board candidate. Do you even know who your state house representative and state senator are? Your money goes a much longer way there. Check with your local vicinity’s representatives (select board? council? do you know?).

Just stop giving money to pointless senate candidates (who are not named Jon Ossoff — the exception who actually proves the rule).