Monday, March 06, 2006

Good news for small "r" republicanism

Rise in Online Fundraising Changed Face of Campaign Donors

Excellent quotes from today's Thomas B. Edsell article at the Washington Post (Page A03)

" . . . The surging number of campaign contributors in 2004, especially the small donors who gave online, changed the character of one of the most important constituencies in U.S. politics, the people who finance presidential elections.
This key group has become more reflective of the middle class, has a higher percentage of women and is far more willing to contribute without being directly solicited. . .

" . . .More than half of Democrats gave online, more than double the percentage of Republicans. More than 80 percent of the contributions by people ages 18 to 34 were made online. Almost half of all small, online donors gave without being asked first by the campaigns. . . "

This is very good news for our Republic. It shows the beginning stages of movement away from television-centered, one-way mass communications, and back to a more grassroots involvement in the political process. After all, elections and politics belong to the citizen voters, not the politicians we elect.

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