Who's paying to elect the president?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Who's Paying to Elect the President?"
Consider This from NPR

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Who's Paying to Elect the President?" from NPR's Consider This, host Mary Louise Kelly delves into the astronomical costs associated with the 2024 U.S. presidential election. As the campaign enters its final stretch, the episode examines the fundraising strategies of both major candidates, the growing influence of wealthy donors and Super PACs, and the broader implications of money in politics.

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1. The High Cost of the Election

Mary Louise Kelly sets the stage by highlighting that the 2024 election is on track to be the most expensive in U.S. history, with Open Secrets estimating a total expenditure of nearly $16 billion—a significant increase from the $15 billion spent in 2020.

"[...] this election [...] will be the most expensive election in U.S. history. Open Secrets is a nonpartisan group that tracks election spending. It estimates the 2024 federal election cycle will cost nearly $16 billion. It was $15 billion back in 2020."
[04:45] Mary Louise Kelly

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2. Fundraising Strategies of the Campaigns

The episode contrasts the fundraising approaches of the Democratic and Republican campaigns, emphasizing a shift from small individual donations to substantial contributions from wealthy donors and Super PACs.

a. The Democratic Campaign

Kamala Harris's campaign continues to leverage a broad base of small donors, maintaining a traditional fundraising model. Despite Harris's previous stance against corporate cash and dark money, her campaign has increasingly relied on large donations from affluent backers.

"Kamala Harris [...] also has a lot of billionaire backers, although she is following a more traditional model where still the organization taking the lead is her traditional campaign committee because that has had very successful fundraising on its own."
[06:19] Mary Louise Kelly & Ira Glass

b. The Trump Campaign and Elon Musk

In contrast, Donald Trump's campaign has shifted towards securing massive contributions from wealthy individuals and Super PACs. A notable example is Elon Musk, who has contributed over $118 million to his America PAC in support of Trump. This collaboration extends beyond financial support, with Musk actively participating in campaign efforts, including door-knocking and promotional activities.

"The tech billionaire has poured more than $118 million into his America PAC in support of Trump. And again, according to Open Secrets, Trump has said he will appoint Musk to a new efficiency czar position if elected."
[02:05] Mary Louise Kelly

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3. Influence of Big Donors and Super PACs

Daniel Weiner, Director of the Brennan Center for Justice's Elections and Government Program, discusses the evolving landscape of campaign financing. He notes the increasing reliance on Super PACs and wealthy donors following the Citizens United decision in 2010, which removed many restrictions on campaign fundraising and spending.

"What we have seen is that the trend is towards more and more of that money coming from the very wealthiest donors."
[05:50] Ira Glass

This shift raises concerns about the disproportionate influence that affluent individuals can wield in electoral politics, potentially overshadowing the voices of average voters.

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4. The Role of Dark Money

Both Harris and Trump's campaigns make significant use of dark money—funds from sources that are not required to disclose their donors. This opaque financing method allows wealthy donors to influence elections without public accountability.

"More and more on both sides, the super PACs supporting them are relying on donations from dark money groups that do not disclose their donors that are basically funneled through the super PAC."
[08:40] Ira Glass

This trend undermines transparency in campaign financing and challenges the integrity of the democratic process.

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5. The Impact on Democracy

The episode explores the broader implications of massive campaign spending on democracy. While high expenditures can indicate robust political engagement, the dominance of a few wealthy donors poses risks to equitable representation.

"I think it's a problem when so much of the money comes from just a very small group of what amount to oligarchs. That is not healthy for our political system."
[11:02] Ira Glass

Weiner emphasizes that while spending money on elections is inevitable and can reflect voter engagement, the concentration of wealth in campaign financing is detrimental to a fair and balanced political landscape.

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6. Possible Reforms and Future Outlook

When discussing potential solutions, Weiner suggests enhancing transparency and encouraging smaller donations as ways to mitigate the outsized influence of wealthy donors.

"I would like to see an election where there are more small donations and where all, you know, most of the money, at least most of the big money, is transparent."
[10:03] Ira Glass

He acknowledges the challenges posed by existing Supreme Court rulings but remains optimistic about incremental changes that could lead to a more equitable campaign financing system.

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7. Conclusion

As the 2024 presidential race intensifies, Consider This underscores the critical role of money in shaping electoral outcomes. The episode calls for a reevaluation of campaign finance practices to ensure a more transparent and representative democratic process. With both major campaigns heavily reliant on big donors and Super PACs, the influence of money remains a central and contentious issue in American politics.

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Notable Quotes

• "Trump says if elected, he would name Musk to a new efficiency czar position. How unusual is that?"
  [07:39] Mary Louise Kelly

• "I think getting money out of politics is the wrong question. The question is, where does the money come from?"
  [10:03] Ira Glass

• "Politics is always going to cost money. Elections are expensive and elections are important. So arguably you should be spending money on them."
  [11:02] Ira Glass

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Key Contributors

• Mary Louise Kelly: Host, NPR's Consider This
• Ira Glass: Interviewee, host of This American Life
• Daniel Weiner: Director of the Brennan Center for Justice's Elections and Government Program

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Production Credits

• Producer: Connor Donovan
• Editor: Courtney Dorning
• Executive Producer: Sami Yenigun

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the pivotal role that money plays in modern U.S. presidential elections and the ongoing debates surrounding campaign finance reform.

Transcript

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Hi, it's Mary Louise Kelly. Real quick before the show. It has been a wild election season and in the home stretch, as you continue to follow every development here on Consider this, we want you to know there are two other ways to make sure you do not miss any developments. There's NPR's Morning News podcast up first. It is recorded before dawn. It is out by 7:00am Eastern each weekday. Later in the day you can find a new episode of the NPR Politics Podcast with context and analysis on the big stories whenever they happen. So you get an alert Big breaking news. You can look for the NPR Politics Podcast a few hours later. So again, you've got up first in the morning. Consider this in the evening and the NPR Politics Podcast anytime big stuff happens. An around the clock election news survival kit. Thank you for listening. Here's the show. The home stretch of the presidential campaign means huge rallies, a final barrage of campaign ads and massive multi state get out the vote efforts. All of costs money. That is why in addition to asking for your vote, the campaigns have been asking for your cash in social media ads like these in support of the Democratic ticket. This is it folks. We need you to send a donation. And look, $5 may not seem like much, but our path to victory relies on all of us chipping in together. That way you and I can both.

[Ira Glass]

Wake up on November 6th knowing that.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

We did everything we could. They are asking in emails with jump scare subject lines and in untold number of unsolicited text messages. Those asks have paid off for the Harris campaign, which raised a record billion dollars in the span of three months. Former President Trump nodded to that hall in his own pitch.

[Ira Glass]

The one thing her campaign has is money. They get it from a lot of people that you don't want to hear about. These are not the people that you agree with. A donation of just $10 from patriots like you will help us to fight and to win big.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Previous Trump campaigns have been powered by small donations like that. This year, not so much, according to the political spending tracker Open Secrets. Instead, Trump is relying on massive contributions from wealthy individuals to super PACs that support him. None more notable. Where is he? Come on up here, Elon and Elon Musk take over. Elon. Yes, that is Trump on stage with Musk in Butler, Pennsylvania last month. The tech billionaire has poured more than $118 million into his America PAC in support of Trump. And again, according to Open Secrets, Trump has said he will appoint Musk to a new efficiency czar position if elected. Here's Musk at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally last month. Your money is being wasted and the Department of Government Efficiency is going to fix that. Musk has offered registered voters in crucial battleground states a chance at a daily million dollar prize if they sign his petition in support of the first and Second Amendment. And he's knocking on doors. The Trump campaign has outsourced much of its get out the vote effort to Musk's group. Get everyone, friends, family, people on the street, put the signs up, put the hat on. Let's go. Consider this as we publish this episode Tuesday afternoon. We do not know who will win this election. We do know that outside money has played a bigger role than ever before. From npr, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[Ira Glass]

This is Ira Glass of this American Life. Each week on our show, we choose a theme, tell different stories on that theme. All right, I'm just going to stop right there. You're listening to an NPR podcast. Chances are you know our show. So instead I'm going to tell you we've just been on a run of really good shows lately, some big, epic, emotional stories and some weird, funny stuff, too. Download us this American Life. This message comes from NPR sponsor Saatva Founder and CEO Ron Rudzen shares why Saatva Sales associates are focused on finding the perfect mattress for their customers at Saatva to have a 365 day home trial. Why would we want to rush you or try to push you into something that's not right for you? We want to make sure that we guide you to the right mattress. Our team is always available to be helpful to make sure you make the right choice. To learn more, go to.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Joe Biden's on his way out. Donald Trump's on his way back.

[Ira Glass]

Want to know what's happening as the.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Presidential transition is underway? The NPR Politics podcast has you covered with the latest news analysis. Listen to the NPR Politics podcast. It's consider this from npr. This election, like the one before it and the one before that and the one before that, will be the most expensive election in U.S. history. Open secrets is a nonpartisan group that tracks election spending. It estimates the 2024 federal election cycle will cost nearly $16 billion. It 15 billion back in 2020. Well, Daniel Weiner is director of the Brennan center for Justice's Elections and Government Program. He tracks the influence of money in elections and I talked to him about what role money has played in this presidential election. Hey there, Daniel.

[Ira Glass]

Hey there. It's a pleasure to be with you.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

So go to that number. I just cited $16 billion spent in this federal election cycle. What pops into your head?

[Ira Glass]

What pops to my head is that's a lot of money. But I am most interested on where that money is coming from. There is a big difference between $16 billion coming from millions of Americans in small increments versus just coming a significant portion of it coming from a handful of billionaires. What we have seen is that the trend is towards more and more of that money coming from the very wealthiest donors.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

And tease out for me why? What has changed in this election?

[Ira Glass]

A couple things have changed. So the largest overarching trend is that since the decision called Citizens United in 2010 swept away a lot of limits on campaign fundraising and spending, more and more groups like Super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, have played a prominent role in US elections. In the meantime, the laws that remained on the books, which were supposed to, for instance, keep those super pacs from collaborating with candidates, have gone largely unenforced. So you have a situation now, for instance, with former President Trump's campaign where he has actually outsourced quite a bit of that campaign to super PACs funded by folks like Elon Musk. Kamala Harris also has a lot of billionaire backers, although she is following a more traditional model where still the organization taking the lead is her traditional campaign committee because that has had very successful fundraising on its own.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

To the question of what all this money buys, we've mentioned Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Trump says if elected, he would name Musk to a new efficiency czar position. How unusual is that?

[Ira Glass]

Well, I think it's important to not overstate how unusual it is because you have to remember we have a long tradition of this country of major donors getting things like ambassadorships. Right. Which both parties have done. What is unusual is the potential for a donor to take a role that would have so much direct oversight over matters in which the donor has a direct financial interest. Remember, Musk is a major government contractor. His companies like SpaceX have billions of dollars of federal contracts.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Talk to me about what you are seeing on the Democratic side. I'm remembering that back when she was a senator, Kamala Harris was prone to speaking out against corporate cash and political action committees. She spoke out against so called dark money anonymous contributions in this presidential campaign. She has not seemed that bothered about benefiting from outside money. What do you see when you look at that?

[Ira Glass]

I see that Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are fighting a very close election. And in the climate that we have, I don't think either side is going to leave anything on the field. More and more on both sides, the super PACs supporting them are relying on donations from dark money groups that do not disclose their donors that are basically funneled through the super pac. That's a feature of both Harris and Trump's campaign. But by and large, big money is playing a role in Kamala Harris campaign. She also has a very wide donor base of smaller donors.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

What's fascinating, you don't see hypocrisy there in a political candidate who is happy to call out dark money until it was directly benefiting her presidential campaign.

[Ira Glass]

I would say that in this era where our elections are very closely fought, I think that there is going to be a willingness to use any legal lever possible across the board. I just don't think it's realistic until you change the rules that, that either side is going to unilaterally disarm.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Can you ever get money out of politics? Or when I talk to you, four years from now, are we likely to be saying, once again, this has just been the most expensive election in U.S. history?

[Ira Glass]

Well, and interestingly, this may not be the most expensive election in U.S. history. This election we thought was going to break all records and now may be on track to actually clock in about where 2020 clocked in. But then you have to factor in inflation. So here's what I want to say. I think getting money out of politics is the wrong question. The question is, where does the money come from? So what I would like to see, and although the Supreme Court has made this harder, it is not impossible. I would like to see an election where there are more small donations and where all, you know, most of the money, at least most of the big money, is transparent. In the, in the medium term, that is what I think we could achieve. And, you know, I do think it's significant that however, Kamala Harris is raising money now. She has made those sorts of reforms a central promise of her campaign.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

If we had those guardrails. A big if. But if we did, is there an argument to be made that all this money on some level is good for our democracy? It does show engagement.

[Ira Glass]

You know, it's such a great question. I think, again, I come back to this idea. Politics is always going to cost money. Elections are expensive and elections are important. So arguably you should be spending money on them. I think it's a problem when so much of the money comes from just a very small group of what amount to oligarchs. That is not healthy for our political system, but the mere fact that we spend money on politics, I don't think is a particularly bad thing. No.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Daniel Weiner, director of the Brennan center for Justice's Elections and Government program, thanks so much.

[Ira Glass]

It was a pleasure. Thank you.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

This episode was produced by Connor Donovan. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's consider this from NPR. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[Ira Glass]

OK, so does this sound like you you love NPR's podcasts, you wish you could get more of all your favorite shows, and you want to support NPR's mission to create a more informed public. If all that sounds appealing, then it is time to sign up for the NPR plus bundle. Learn more at plus.NPR.org the code switch team spent Election Day talking to folks about how the outcome might impact them. It's a time capsule of people's hopes and fears before they knew the results.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

One way or another, there's a change coming.

[Ira Glass]

I wanted to vote for Trump, but.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

I voted for her.

[Ira Glass]

Gays for Trump. I cried this morning. I've been crying on and off.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

I'm terrified.

[Ira Glass]

Listen to Code Switch, the podcast about race and identity, from NPR.