Rob Miller is running for Congress in SC-02 against Rep. Joe Wilson, the yahoo who heckled President Obama during the healthcare speech. Mr. Miller got within a few percent two years ago despite a shoestring budget that resulted in his being outspent by a large ratio.
That's unlikely to be a problem this time. In the less than 48 hours since the (inaccurate) “You Lie” heard round the nation, ActBlue's Rob Miller campaign has raised over $800,000 from more than 22,000 donors.
And the number is still growing.
This is not a solicitation to donate to Mr. Miller — I don't actually know anything about him other than he's not Joe Wilson…which is almost, but not quite, enough. The public reaction, though, is more than impressive. I'm told the average contribution is $36 and the median contribution is $25, so it's a genuine grass-roots phenomenon.
C’mon, the Democratic candidate could kill puppies in his spare time and you would still vote for him over any Republican candidate.
Sure, if that’s the choice I face on election day. But when people are allocating their donation dollar, I have a somewhat higher standard before asking them to vote with their pocketbook.
Of course, what’s not being reported by the asleep at the wheel media, is that Wilson is ALSO getting lots of donations and support as well. Last I looked, it was maybe a third of what Miller was getting, but it may be that the ultimate effect of such one-sided reporting (as if often the case) will be that people who think that Wilson is being shafted will start donating at a higher rate. So careful what you report – it might just help cause the opposite effect.
Frankly, whatever one might think of his position, it’s at least refreshing to see SOMEONE in Congress who’s not just sitting on his hands and nodding at whichever side. Likely, all of this stemmed from the fact that he’s just frustrated (like most of us) that nobody does a damn thing in Washington except make speaches and statements that ultimately amount to little more that “we should DO something.” Yeah, no kidding. I really don’t see what the big deal is. Politicians on BOTH sides have been calling each other liars for YEARS (including the President). Suddenly some big rule has been broken? No, this is just politics. Either that, or none of these fragile little babies would last 5 minutes in a REAL parlamentary debate.
I don’t know about Wilson’s fundraising in the last 48 hours, but I have read that he belongs to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group not currently associated with sympathy to black people.
And then there is his history of flying off the handle.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2009/09/scs_wilson_rakes_in_750000_in.html
I live in Joe Wilson’s district, and he is awful. But I know almost nothing about Rob Miller. I admit I voted for him in 2008 but where he stands on most issues remains a mystery.
All you have to do is research Capt. Rob Miller, USMC and you will learn about him. Now THIS gentleman is an American patriot and I’m working to help him defeat the rep. who might as well have called our President “boy.” Enough!
Vic:
Ah, got news for you. If you are the incumbent and do something that results in your opponent receiving three times the amount of campaign contributions that you do, that is called a ‘big fail’.
I know you are trying your best, and you ain’t got much to work with, but come on.
As for Rep. Wilson ‘being shafted’, uh, yeah good luck with that. Poor poor Rep. Wilson, the honorable patriot being torn down by the big bad media…
Oh, and your little, it was nothing, no rules violated? IOKIYAR. Republicans never take responsibility for anything, they just move the goalposts constantly. Part and parcel with their lack of morals or principles.
You might want to look again at the actual numbers as of now. Wilson has surpassed $1M and left Miller in the dust.
Like I said, it’s all about perceptions. This is a slightly majority conservative country (in recent polls – which have NOTHING to do with who is running the place). If it seems like the (perceived to be liberal) media is picking on a conservative, it stirs people up. If the media had just reported things fairly, it probably would have stayed in Miller’s favor. But conservatives are mad right now and the liberals seem unable to see what’s staring them in the face. Politics is perception. Not who won, not who should win, and not what should be true. With the media failing to do their job, it’s just rallying the conservatives more and more every day. Look at that huge demonstration in Washington. And that wasn’t even one that was organized.
As for Republicans having all of the morality issues…please. Nobody could actually believe that, and if you really do, then you are just not an informed person. (NOTE: I did not say that Republicans were innocent, but that both sides share real human problems. Again, ignore them at your peril.)
No, Vic, you are wrong. Again.
When you look at the issues, the country is fairly liberal. Pro choice. Anti gun. Pro public option. And on and on.
People are sending Wilson money because they hate Obama and don’t trust him at all. And this group of people is a small group of voters. Yes, conservatives are mad (heh double entendre), but they are mad because they lost the election and are finding their numbers dwindling because their leaders are unserious idiots and because the hard-core members are psychotic. So yeah, their mad. But it doesn’t matter.
And where have you provided one link to where the media didn’t report things fairly? Or are you allergic to links like McArdle? What he did was offensive and extremely rude. If that had happened to W every Republican and every news outlet would be condemning the cad.
Anyway, again nice try. Wilson is an idiot and he will come to regret his decision. Even if the crazies still embrace him.
Well if you say it, then it just MUST be true. I’ll certainly believe you over my lying eyes. Thank God this country still has people like you who are willing to just close their minds up tight so that they can determine what the rest of us crazy idiots should do with ourselves all day. We can’t let the totalitarian governments have ALL the fun.
Keep up the good work Zeb, we’re all counting on you to fix our errors.
The lying eyes that can’t see 45 million Americans with no health insurance? The lying eyes that tell you, without any shadow of a doubt, that we will have to kill grandma to pay for healthcare reform because its just too expensive?
Where is your link to back up your claim about the media being unfair? Or are you factually challenged like the entire GOP today? Allergic to links? Oh, I know, you have all the answers, and we should do that actual grunt work.
Are you going to cry about the injustice of it all when Rep. Wilson is sanctioned? Could you film that please? I need a good laugh…
The healthcare debate is NOT ABOUT how many Americans are with or without healthcare at the moment. It’s also not about whether anybody is going to kill grandma. These are just voices screaming out to be heard. Nobody even cares, really, whether there is any reality connected to any of it.
Ultimately, healthcare problems (and we ALL agree there are some) will be fixed by people who are able to work on a solution, regardless of what’s being shouted at them, but regarding all ideas and allowing history to inform. There are serious ideas that have been presented by both sides in this, but there has yet to be any debate, and so long as people are more interested in links to internet sites, and packaged viewpoints, there won’t be.
The healthcare debate is NOT ABOUT how many Americans are with or without healthcare at the moment. It’s also not about whether anybody is going to kill grandma. These are just voices screaming out to be heard. Nobody even cares, really, whether there is any reality connected to any of it.
Ultimately, healthcare problems (and we ALL agree there are some) will be fixed by people who are able to work on a solution, regardless of what’s being shouted at them, but regarding all ideas and allowing history to inform. There are serious ideas that have been presented by both sides in this, but there has yet to be any debate, and so long as people are more interested in links to internet sites, and packaged viewpoints, there won’t be.
Latest figures:
Latest SC-02 Money Figures: $1.5 Million For Miller, $1.3 Million For Wilson
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/latest-sc-02-money-figures-15-million-for-miller-13-million-for-wilson.php
Again, when you are the incumbent, and your challenger is a virtual unknown, this is not a good result.
And, finally, to wrap up this ‘discussion’, the healthcare debate is precisely about the 45 million Americans with no insurance.
Those are primarily the people who hate the GOP and are going to love (and vote for) the Dems when the reform bill passed. Oh, a few of these uninsured people are so dumb that they will vote and agitate against their own self-interest, but they are a small minority that has little chance of pulling any weight at the ballot box.
Funny that you would think otherwise.
Sorry about the triple. I swear I didn’t hit the button thrice.