Progressive Billionaires And Their Money

Billionaire progressive Tom Steyer said earlier this year that he wasn't running for President, before changing his mind and announcing he was running. Steyer's millions in "Need To Impeach" ads ran over the first two years of the Trump regime, and allowed him to amass a huge mailing list, which he's now using in his longest-of-long-shots campaign. He's drawn mild complaints from other candidates for attempting to buy the nomination with his wealth. On the positive side, Steyer pumped a staggering $123 million into youth voter registration drives (NextGen America) which made an impact in the 2018 elections. He'll always be a hero for that.

Other billionaire progressives are expected to use their wealth to support the eventual Dem nominee, flipping of the U.S. Senate, and/or mobilizing voters / fighting voter suppression. One situation that could use some financial support is the progressive news site ThinkProgress, which had to shut down yesterday due to funding shortages. While the far-right has no worries as far as tapping into Koch / Adelson / Mercer billions, independent progressive media are habitually living on a shoestring. The Center for American Progress, under whose auspices ThinkProgress operated, has been looking for a publisher to buy the site without takers so far. Let's hope that changes soon. Every progressive voice is needed going forward.