# Donating to a presidential candidate? We know who you are! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 24, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062 "2004-03-24T02:50:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/21 "2004-03-24T20:29:30Z")
> [@minty green](#): > > The infamous liberal money machine [Barbara Streisand](http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=streisand&fname=barbara&search=Search+by+Name), for instance, has only made two middling donations, a thousand bucks each to Kerry and Edwards. Psst. Her first name is spelled “Barbra.” She also gave $1000 each to [Dean, Sharpton, Gephardt, Graham, and Clarke](http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=streisand&fname=barbra&search=Search+by+Name), which were logged under the correct spelling of her name. Also interesting, the “Howard Dean” vote is [split between Howard Dean and Dubya](http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=dean&fname=howard&search=Search+by+Name). And Al Franken doesn’t appear to have ponied up [anything](http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=franken&fname=&search=Search+by+Name). But then again, neither has [Ann Coulter](http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=coulter&fname=ann&search=Search+by+Name). ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/22 "2004-03-24T20:55:16Z")
[This](http://www.fundrace.org/moneyindex.html) part is most interesting. It shows which segments are giving money to who. GrassRoots Index who gets small contributions from all over America?: Winner is Howard Dean, with GW in second Sharpton in third. Kerry was 5th here btw. Devotion Index who inspires repeat giving and financial sacrifice? John Edwards in first, Lieberman and GW third. Interesting, I would never have thought Lieberman would be ranked so high in this category. Kerry was 4th on this list. The REAL shocker (for me) is: FatCats Index who gets large contributions from the wealthiest Americans? John F Kerry is the winner here, with GW second and Lieberman third. Its no shock that Bush and Lieberman are high on this list, but that Kerry beats em both is a real shock to me. Great web site MG, but I don’t see me on there. Don’t they record for people contributing to independant parties?? -XT ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/23 "2004-03-24T21:35:10Z")
> [@minty green](#): > > Now here’s a fun little by-product of campaign finance reform: [Fundrace 2004](http://www.fundrace.org/index.html). It allows you to search on names and addresses for people who have made campaign contributions to any of this year’s presidential candidates. I checked, and goodness gracious, there I am. Twice, actually, since I gave money to two different candidates. (Gosh, I hope Kerry doesn’t think I was two-timing him.) With a name as common as yours and two different addresses/company names listed I think he won’t even notice. Although you did give to him from your old address and give to Edwards from your new one. What’s up with that, having second thoughts? I found it really amusing to click on the address link from your contribution to Kerry and see the results from your old neighborhood. Bunch of GW supporters there! Almost the whole first page gave the max. > [@minty green](#): > > The privacy implications of this thing are pretty well obvious. > … > So anyway, I’m kind of torn here. It’s entertaining, and I certainly understand why the Federal Elections Commission needs the info for enforcement of campaign finance laws, but this is still a heck of a privacy violation as far the public matching of names, addresses, occupations, employers, and campaign donations. What do you think? I don’t care for it myself, but if someone is going to stand up and make a political statement, and that’s what donating money to the campaign is, then their statement can make it into the record. IIRC the courts have said that campaign contributions are considered “speech”(thus the hullabaloo about restricting campaign contributions running afoul of free speech protection). You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you in the court of public opinion. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/24 "2004-03-24T21:50:48Z")
Now on the Appraisal District sites, those I have a much bigger problem with. We’re talking private property there. What deductions I take on my property taxes and how much my pool cost are none of anyone’s damn business and having it all on the web for people to peruse without so much as a “by your leave” chaps my hide. I’d also like to remind you that what you did to Troy others could do to you and that the high road is available in the future, just like I’m taking it now. Ok fine, that’s a little hypocritical of me because I actually HAVE looked up your place, and you know I did, but that was because I needed directions and wanted to see an actual photo so I could know what to look for when we were driving down the street. I wouldn’t post it for the world to see however, both you, and Troy IMHO, deserve more respect than that. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/25 "2004-03-24T21:56:16Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Great web site MG, but I don’t see me on there. Don’t they record for people contributing to independant parties?? > > -XT I don’t know about that, but I feel compelled to remind people that it depends on how much you gave AND MOST IMPORTANTLY when. ---
**Author:** ![iamme99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/57b2e6/32.png) [@iamme99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamme99)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/26 "2004-03-24T23:11:42Z")
> [@minty green](#): > > More seriously, though, I’ve given this some additional thought, and I realize that this is just the age in which we live. Anybody who knows my real life name (Hi, Cecil!) can already Google oodles of information about me, everything from published opinions to the identies of certain clients to the floorplan and purchase price of my home (just ask **Mtgman** 🙂 ). I don’t generally have a problem with providing personal info to government agencies, but I do wonder why those agencies (and the legislatures behind them) feel it’s so necessary to make that info public and freely available. That’s why I never use my real name or absolute location online. If I give money to a candidate, I do it via an anonymous money order. Same with charities. Googling my name will not produce any information nor tie me to anything I have posted online. Short of hacking or grabbing my PC, I’m clean. Maybe I should run for President? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/27 "2004-03-25T05:02:02Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > Although you did give to [Kerry] from your old address and give to Edwards from your new one. What’s up with that, having second thoughts? Sure, to some extent. I donated to Kerry about a week before we moved, and donated to Edwards right after he came up roses in Iowa. I’ve liked both candidates (and Clark) all along, but I did somewhat prefer Edwards and wasn’t prepared to throw money at him when he was a certifiable loser last summer. > [@](#): > > I found it really amusing to click on the address link from your contribution to Kerry and see the results from your old neighborhood. Bunch of GW supporters there! Almost the whole first page gave the max. Dude, I lived on the edge of Highland Park! Being a Democrat over there is like being an Christian in Mecca. > [@](#): > > Now on the Appraisal District sites, those I have a much bigger problem with. . . . I’d also like to remind you that what you did to Troy others could do to you and that the high road is available in the future, just like I’m taking it now. I’m totally with you on the appraisal district sites. It’s uttterly astounding what you can get off of those, and I fully support taking them right the heck offline. But on the specific example of Troy Aikman, I don’t feel too bad because (a) it illustrates the problem, (b) the information _is_ easily available even apart from the CCCAD site, and (c) I’m completely positive Troy Aikman could totally kick my ass if he felt like it. Pick on someone my own size? Man, I’m picking on somebody who’s 6’-3" and 235 pounds! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/28 "2004-03-25T06:08:09Z")
IIRC the FEC only releases/requires quarterly info on all the financial matters. More than likely that is why newer donations haven’t shown up yet. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/29 "2004-03-25T06:22:14Z")
> [@milroyj](#): > > Hey cool site, **minty**. > > My favorites thus far: > > George HW Bush, Houston TX, retired > Barbara P Bush, Houston TX, retired > > each gave $2000 to George W Bush! What? This entry seemed conspicuosly missing: George W Bush, Houston TX, President gave Ralph Nader $2000? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/30 "2004-03-25T17:22:46Z")
What’s interesting to me is all the household “bundling” that’s going on. You know…at one listed address, husband gives $2000 to GWB, wife gives $2000 to GWB, two children at same address each give $2000 to GWB, dog gives $2000 to GWB, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/31 "2004-03-25T17:27:33Z")
Hmm. Also interesting is that I’ve made four separate campaign contributions, but only one of them shows up on this site. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/32 "2004-03-25T17:52:45Z")
Just checked my ZIP code: Bush = $19,395; all Dems together = $4,454 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/33 "2004-03-25T18:11:01Z")
Hey, speaking of bundling, isn’t that supposed to be against the rules? Look at the donations from [this zip code](http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?type=loc&addr=&zip=30747&search=Search+by+Location) with various affiliations to Fuller Rehabilitation. Everybody from the President and all his family members right down to the maintenance man and secretary gave the maximum $2000 donation to Bush. Isn’t it illegal to give money to your secretary for the secretary to give to a campaign? (…If that’s what’s going on here. Maybe there really is a secretary in rural Georgia ponying up $2000 of her own massive salary to give to Bush.) ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/34 "2004-03-25T23:45:21Z")
> [@minty green](#): > > Dude, I lived on the edge of Highland Park! Being a Democrat over there is like being an Christian in Mecca. True enough, but it isn’t like you’re living in the projects these days you know. > [@minty green](#): > > I’m totally with you on the appraisal district sites. It’s uttterly astounding what you can get off of those, and I fully support taking them right the heck offline. But on the specific example of Troy Aikman, I don’t feel too bad because (a) it illustrates the problem, (b) the information _is_ easily available even apart from the CCCAD site, and (c) I’m completely positive Troy Aikman could totally kick my ass if he felt like it. > > Pick on someone my own size? Man, I’m picking on somebody who’s 6’-3" and 235 pounds! 🙂 That isn’t the point and you know it. The point is that for no better reason than shits n giggles people are distributing personal information about other people. The fact that he has an unofficial remedy(kicking your ass) doesn’t undo the fact that it was not the CCCADs, nor your, place to spread that info around in the first place. As for illustrating the problem, I think celebrities are actually very poor choices for illustrating the problem. The major threat from information like this being unsecured is identity theft. It is harder to steal a celebrity’s identity than some random person’s identity. With the kind of info on the appraisal district sites plus some judicious lifting of junk mail from mailboxes it would be possible to do all kinds of nasty stuff to people. The district lets you narrow down which persons are likely to be good targets based on rough estimates of their assets on a scale appropriate to their home. The second point, ease of availability of this info from non-CCCAD sites, doesn’t apply as easily to non-celebrities either. An average Joe wouldn’t have to worry about someone easily finding the price of their home, floorplan, etc because it wouldn’t be available for most homes without the appraisal districts. There will be news about Troy Aikman’s home, photos of the place, papparazzi, etc. The average Joe wouldn’t get on the radar at all if it weren’t for these sites. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/35 "2004-03-26T00:34:25Z")
Cash keeps it private ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/36 "2004-03-26T00:43:40Z")
> [@iamme99](#): > > If I give money to a candidate, I do it via an anonymous money order. Hate to ruin your day, but the candidate can’t accept your anonymous money order anymore. Hope you didn’t mail that yet. ---
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/37 "2004-03-26T00:57:13Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Everybody from the President and all his family members right down to the maintenance man and secretary gave the maximum $2000 donation to Bush. Isn’t it illegal to give money to your secretary for the secretary to give to a campaign? (…If that’s what’s going on here. Maybe there really is a secretary in rural Georgia ponying up $2000 of her own massive salary to give to Bush.) It is suspicious that the entire company appears so same-minded. But it’s worth noting that: (1) “Secretary” can also be a reference to the person on the Board of Directors that’s responsible for taking the minutes at board meetings. So we _may_ not be talking about an “executive assistant” making $18K per year. (In order to avoid **Mtgman** ’s wrath, I’ll resist the temptation to see how big this Secretary’s house is). (2) The “Maintenance/Repairs” person has the same last name and address as the Vice President/Human Resources Division. So we’re probably not talking about a janitor here. The donation from the page you linked that really bothers me is this one: > [@](#): > > -------------------John Kerry----------------------P O Box 370 > -------------------$1,000--------------------------Summerville, GA 30747 Note: no name, and only a PO Box address. So I guess there must be some way to circumvent the system. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/38 "2004-03-26T01:12:58Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Ah, the law of unintended consequences again. Campaign finance reform has given you things like this, which are supposedly to make financing more ‘open’. Horsehockey. Gifts of $200 or more going back to the 1990 election cycle are part of the public record. [Opensecrets.org](http://www.opensecrets.org) has searchable political donation records, and I use them just about every week. “Openness” in campaign financing has been around for some time now. Are you suggesting that, before 1990, there were fewer under-the-table donations? Or that it was harder to track political influence then than it is now? Much as we hate to dismiss today’s politicians as the most corrupt in history, I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![iamme99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/57b2e6/32.png) [@iamme99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamme99)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/39 "2004-03-26T21:23:06Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Hate to ruin your day, but the candidate can’t accept your anonymous money order anymore. Hope you didn’t mail that yet. Guess I could pick someone’s name out of the phonebook then who hopefully hadn’t already given the max. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062/40 "2004-03-26T23:04:02Z")
Hmmmm… **This** is an interesting pair of donations: Gregory L. Power Vice President - Engineering Carrier Div. Of United Tech. George W. Bush $1,000 29 Lucy Way Simsburg, CT 06070 Todd Bluedorn President Carrier Corporation North Americ Joe Lieberman $750 20 Lucy Way Simsbury, CT 06070 1.54 miles Think Greg knows about his boss’s opinion? Well, Leiberman’s nearly a Republican anyway, so I guess it’s not that strange. It is strange that that’s not Carrier’s busines address. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donating-to-a-presidential-candidate-we-know-who-you-are/236062.md?page=3)