Influencer model infects US political fundraising

Political capital. U.S. politicians’ fundraising efforts are looking more fit for TikTok than a functional government. Viral posts and email blasts have bolstered donations for outspoken lawmakers, emboldening some of m to go rogue and contributing to chaos that gripped election of House of Representatives' speaker this week. new way to create star power will continue to disrupt politics as it has Hollywood.

tritional process by which members of Republican and Democratic parties choose ir leers resembles machine that creates movie stars. Party organizers – like talent agencies – used to coalesce behind a candidate, often making a pick based on ir gauge of how popular or capable a fundraiser that person might be. In turn, leers like former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Republican Speaker Paul Ryan collected tens of millions of dollars to divert to politically valuable campaigns elsewhere in party.

That has changed, partly because candidates can reach constituents on ir own. Florida Republican Matt Gaetz has raised nearly $2 million this year, helped by fundraising emails sent in le-up to his successful effort to remove Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy as House speaker. Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who boasts more than 13 million followers on X, platform formerly known as Twitter, has raised $3.5 million year-to-date. Vocal conservatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert have raised $2.7 million and $2.4 million, respectively, for ir 2024 House campaigns.

Those sums to single members handily eclipse $1.8 million that average House candidate raised ahe of 2022 elections, according to campaign finance tracker OpenSecrets. Party leers’ fundraising roles are shrinking, too. McCarthy raised 2.9% of House Republicans’ cash in 2022 elections. H his share matched that achieved by his predecessor John Boehner in 2012, McCarthy would have h $6 million more to give vulnerable candidates. Nearly 70%, or $8.6 million, of Taylor Greene’s fundraising from January 2021 to end of 2022 came from contributions smaller than $200.

McCarthy still raises more than his colleagues. Yet every dollar donated through a conservative hardliner’s email rar than through party-controlled channels left former leer with less cash to spre around, while giving individual members more independence. When picking a new leer requires party unity, political influencers’ tactics are dangerous to subscribe to.

(Source: Reuters Breakingviews)