November/December 2006 Issue

“I Have to Wash My Hair, Mr. President”

Illustration by: Steve Wacksman

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[See a PDF of this chart from the magazine]

There’s no bigger boon to a political campaign than a fundraising visit from the president—except when that president has an approval rating in the mid-30s. Then it takes footwork worthy of Dancing With the Stars to avoid sharing the stage with him. Not all Republicans have been as candid as Illinois gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka, who stood by
as an aide explained why they did not want President Bush to campaign with Topinka: “We just want him to raise money. Late at night. In an undisclosed location.”

CANDIDATE

EVENT

EXCUSE

REP. THELMA DRAKE
(R-Va.)

Bush-headlined $500,000 fundraiser for Drake in Virginia Beach on May 19

Had to be in Washington to vote on an appropriations bill—which passed 395-0

SENATOR MIKE DEWINE
(R-Ohio)

Bush speech to Cleveland’s
City Club on March 20

Had to accompany his dad to watch spring training in Florida

Maryland LT. GOVERNOR MICHAEL STEELE, running for Senate

Bush-headlined Maryland GOP fundraiser on May 31

Had another fundraiser, 2,400 miles away in Las Vegas

MIKE MCGAVICK, running for Senate in Washington

Bush speech at Seattle fundraiser on June 16

Attending his son’s high school graduation in Pennsylvania—the previous day

THOMAS KEAN JR., running for Senate in New Jersey

Cheney speech praising Kean at a $400,000 fundraiser in Newark on March 20

Stuck in traffic (Kean took perennially clogged Route 1 instead of the faster New Jersey Turnpike)

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

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