Chuck Schumer

Yeah, I don't want them to be more effective at raising money. But I also like I don't want broad swaths of the most committed political activists on both sides to feel like the entire system is a grift that is rigged against them and is like designed to harm them. I feel like that's just bad for our body politic and helps enable people like Donald Trump. Joe, thank you so much for doing this.

Yeah, I don't want them to be more effective at raising money. But I also like I don't want broad swaths of the most committed political activists on both sides to feel like the entire system is a grift that is rigged against them and is like designed to harm them. I feel like that's just bad for our body politic and helps enable people like Donald Trump. Joe, thank you so much for doing this.

This is fascinating. I'm really grateful. Yeah, thanks. Great to be here. We'll be right back with my conversation with Dan. But as you guys know, we are trying to build an independent, progressive media company. And the best way you can support our work is by subscribing to the Friends of the Pod. Subscribers get tons of great perks.

This is fascinating. I'm really grateful. Yeah, thanks. Great to be here. We'll be right back with my conversation with Dan. But as you guys know, we are trying to build an independent, progressive media company. And the best way you can support our work is by subscribing to the Friends of the Pod. Subscribers get tons of great perks.

Just this month, they heard Dan Pfeiffer on Polar Coaster break down Trump's attempts to blame the economy on Joe Biden. On Inside 2024, Alyssa and Dan answered subscriber questions about Trump's first 100 days. And every Friday, subscribers get a much-needed break with Terminally Online,

Just this month, they heard Dan Pfeiffer on Polar Coaster break down Trump's attempts to blame the economy on Joe Biden. On Inside 2024, Alyssa and Dan answered subscriber questions about Trump's first 100 days. And every Friday, subscribers get a much-needed break with Terminally Online,

where Crooked hosts and staff unpack the weirder shit on the internet in very unhinged, usually very funny ways. Plus, friends of the pod get access to exclusive AMAs with hosts like me, John Lovett, Aaron Ryan, Leah Lippman. So go over to crooked.com slash friends to learn more and subscribe today.

where Crooked hosts and staff unpack the weirder shit on the internet in very unhinged, usually very funny ways. Plus, friends of the pod get access to exclusive AMAs with hosts like me, John Lovett, Aaron Ryan, Leah Lippman. So go over to crooked.com slash friends to learn more and subscribe today.

Here's my conversation with Dan about his concern that these fundraising tactics are worse than just annoying, that they could actually hurt the Democratic Party. All right, Dan. So everybody hates fundraising emails. We hate fundraising texts.

Here's my conversation with Dan about his concern that these fundraising tactics are worse than just annoying, that they could actually hurt the Democratic Party. All right, Dan. So everybody hates fundraising emails. We hate fundraising texts.

But you have said before that you think this is a bigger issue than it just being annoying and that the fundraising tactics could actually hurt our candidates or the party itself. Why is that?

But you have said before that you think this is a bigger issue than it just being annoying and that the fundraising tactics could actually hurt our candidates or the party itself. Why is that?

Yeah. And another piece of this is that, you know, text-based communications is a great way to communicate with people because people actually open their texts and they read their texts. But we're only doing it with fundraising now. Like what's a better way for campaigns to leverage that high open rate for a political advantage, do you think?

Yeah. And another piece of this is that, you know, text-based communications is a great way to communicate with people because people actually open their texts and they read their texts. But we're only doing it with fundraising now. Like what's a better way for campaigns to leverage that high open rate for a political advantage, do you think?

Yeah, it makes you just assume that everything is just a solicitation. Last question for you. So I was talking to Joe Raspars earlier about whether he thought it was possible for a campaign to raise too much money. And he said, yes, especially if you're a campaign that is spending a lot of money to bring in money. It can become like a self-licking ice cream cone.

Yeah, it makes you just assume that everything is just a solicitation. Last question for you. So I was talking to Joe Raspars earlier about whether he thought it was possible for a campaign to raise too much money. And he said, yes, especially if you're a campaign that is spending a lot of money to bring in money. It can become like a self-licking ice cream cone.

And it got me thinking about the Harris campaign and how they spent their roughly $1.5 billion they raised in 2024. The New York Times reported that Harris spent about $600 million producing and airing TV ads. There was the $900,000 they spent on the exterior of the sphere in Las Vegas as sort of marketing effort at the end of the campaign.

And it got me thinking about the Harris campaign and how they spent their roughly $1.5 billion they raised in 2024. The New York Times reported that Harris spent about $600 million producing and airing TV ads. There was the $900,000 they spent on the exterior of the sphere in Las Vegas as sort of marketing effort at the end of the campaign.

And, you know, a lot of these things were perceived as being pretty ineffective, especially given the price tag. Do you think campaigns are putting too much time, money and effort into fundraising at this point with diminishing returns for even the spend on those dollars?

And, you know, a lot of these things were perceived as being pretty ineffective, especially given the price tag. Do you think campaigns are putting too much time, money and effort into fundraising at this point with diminishing returns for even the spend on those dollars?