PrintBusting the Democrat myth of the Koch brothers
Merely mention the monstrous Koch brothers and Democrats go berserk.
But what's the truth concerning the extent of the Koch's financial impact on elections?
On the website opensecrets.org , we find this list of Top All-Time Political Donors from 1989-2012. The top 100 donors are listed below. Note the contributions from unions.
Given all the noise from Democrats, we'd expect to see the Kochs in, at least, the top ten. Not there.
Or, the top 20
Merely mention the monstrous Koch brothers and Democrats go berserk.
But what's the truth concerning the extent of the Koch's financial impact on elections?
On the website opensecrets.org , we find this list of Top All-Time Political Donors from 1989-2912. The top 100 donors are listed below. Note the contributions from unions.
Given all the noise from Democrats, we'd expect to see the Kochs in, at least, the top ten. Not there.
Or, the top 20. Not there either.
Certainly the top 50! Nope.
They rank 75th on the list.
One of Saul Alinsky's rules in his book "Rules for Radicals" -- required reading in the state university in Illinois I attended long ago -- was to "demonize the opposition". It works because attach credibility to repetition. (Like next year is the Chicago Cub's year to win the Series.)
[The first column to the right of the total is the percentage of total contributions that went to Democrats; the second column to the right the percentage of the total given to Republicans.]
|
1 |
$69,829,402 |
99% |
0% |
|
|
|
2 |
$61,440,473 |
73% |
0% |
|
|
|
3 |
$49,435,290 |
43% |
55% |
|
|
|
4 |
$44,032,938 |
45% |
47% |
|
|
|
5 |
$43,613,263 |
71% |
5% |
|
|
|
6 |
$41,809,666 |
70% |
2% |
|
|
|
7 |
$39,830,663 |
56% |
40% |
|
|
|
8 |
$36,480,728 |
88% |
8% |
|
|
|
9 |
$35,994,170 |
95% |
2% |
|
|
|
10 |
$34,698,466 |
86% |
0% |
|
|
|
11 |
$33,543,228 |
85% |
5% |
|
|
|
12 |
$33,502,740 |
86% |
7% |
|
|
|
13 |
$32,245,257 |
90% |
0% |
|
|
|
14 |
$32,000,160 |
85% |
9% |
|
|
|
15 |
$30,075,676 |
49% |
49% |
|
|
|
16 |
$28,652,035 |
92% |
0% |
|
|
|
17 |
$28,523,448 |
40% |
59% |
|
|
|
18 |
$28,360,837 |
98% |
0% |
|
|
|
19 |
$28,170,508 |
32% |
67% |
|
|
|
20 |
$27,690,147 |
98% |
1% |
|
|
|
21 |
$26,874,093 |
36% |
63% |
|
|
|
22 |
$26,242,976 |
97% |
0% |
|
|
|
23 |
$26,098,832 |
27% |
72% |
|
|
|
24 |
$25,989,790 |
38% |
61% |
|
|
|
25 |
$25,415,795 |
34% |
65% |
|
|
|
26 |
$25,180,648 |
49% |
49% |
|
|
|
27 |
$24,649,246 |
55% |
44% |
|
|
|
28 |
$24,344,855 |
35% |
64% |
|
|
|
29 |
$24,158,334 |
82% |
9% |
|
|
|
30 |
$23,055,528 |
44% |
55% |
|
|
|
31 |
$22,948,301 |
37% |
62% |
|
|
|
32 |
$22,504,688 |
82% |
4% |
|
|
|
33 |
$22,398,020 |
42% |
56% |
|
|
|
34 |
$22,222,405 |
73% |
26% |
|
|
|
35 |
$21,947,727 |
50% |
49% |
|
|
|
36 |
$21,699,696 |
41% |
58% |
|
|
|
37 |
$21,639,155 |
43% |
55% |
|
|
|
38 |
$20,950,466 |
47% |
50% |
|
|
|
39 |
$20,184,062 |
35% |
64% |
|
|
|
40 |
$20,078,811 |
40% |
59% |
|
|
|
41 |
$19,992,720 |
95% |
2% |
|
|
|
42 |
$19,963,136 |
84% |
14% |
|
|
|
43 |
$19,934,293 |
78% |
17% |
|
|
|
44 |
$19,788,306 |
92% |
4% |
|
|
|
45 |
$19,667,518 |
43% |
55% |
|
|
|
46 |
$18,979,122 |
17% |
82% |
|
|
|
47 |
$18,875,934 |
45% |
53% |
|
|
|
48 |
$18,818,618 |
53% |
45% |
|
|
|
49 |
$18,737,044 |
36% |
63% |
|
|
|
50 |
$18,276,962 |
40% |
58% |
|
|
|
51 |
$17,884,942 |
46% |
52% |
|
|
|
52 |
$17,509,897 |
83% |
16% |
|
|
|
53 |
$17,287,629 |
44% |
55% |
|
|
|
54 |
$16,979,024 |
42% |
57% |
|
|
|
55 |
$16,359,097 |
33% |
66% |
|
|
|
56 |
$16,028,846 |
96% |
0% |
|
|
|
57 |
$15,943,095 |
25% |
74% |
|
|
|
58 |
$15,598,484 |
43% |
56% |
|
|
|
59 |
$15,544,424 |
92% |
6% |
|
|
|
60 |
|
