Through the listing of actual corporate contributions over a period of 20 years, the Dems are owned by the corporations -- including such biggies as the defense industries, the media, the car manufacturers, and Wall Street -- every bit as much as the Repugs are, and even more at many times.
First, let's explode the myth that key industries like defense, telecom, media, health care, pharma and Wall Street, are solidly Republican.
2008 Presidential campaign
Health Services/HMO's:
Contributions to:
Barack Obama $1,4235,501
John McCain $427,228
Pharmaceuticals:
Barack Obama $2,124,560
John McCain $665,422
Now let's look at the figures for all races, for the years 2009-2010:
Contributions from Health Professionals:
Donations to Dems $13,827,356
Percentage of total to Dems 55%
Donations to Repugs $11,116,261
Percentage of total to Repugs 45%
HMO contributions:
Total $$3,792,002
Percent to Dems 66
Percent to Repugs 33
Now let's look at Insurance:
Donations to Dems $7,265,653
Percentage of total to Dems 52%
Donations to Repugs $6,515,832
Percentage of total to Repugs 47%
Then let's look at Pharmaceuticals:
Donations to Dems $5,064,428
Percentage of total to Dems 57%
Donations to Repugs $3,746,465
Percentage of total to Repugs 42%
figures for just Congressional races, 2009-2010
Number 2 is Health Professionals:
Total contributions: 15,370,571
Percentage to Dems 62%
Percentage to Repugs 37%
Number 6 is Insurance
Total contributions $9,864,471
Percentage to Dems 57%
Percentage to Repugs 43%
Number 10 is Pharma/Health Products
Total contributions $6,405,127
Percentage to Dems 61%
Percentage to Repugs 39%
Now, let's demolish the myth that "all the major industries, such as defense contractors, Wall Street, car manufacturers, and telecoms, are solidly and consistently Republican". The actual campaign contributions for the 2009-2010 election cycle (as before, these figures include PACS, 527's, individual contributions and soft money contributions) show otherwise:
Defense industries:
Total contributions $8,777,667
Percentage to Dems 57
Percentage to Repugs 42
Defense Aerospace:
Total contributions $3,858,141
Percentage to Dems 58
Percentage to Repugs 41
Defense Electronics:
Total contributions $2,895,255
Percentage to Dems 56
Percentage to Repugs 44
Auto manufacturers:
Total contributions $302,668
Percentage to Dems 63
Percentage to Repugs 37
Telecoms:
Total contributions $3,498,621
Percentage to Dems 55
Percentage to Repugs 45
Wall Street:
Securities and Investment companies:
Total contributions $30,193,682
Percentage to Dems 63
Percentage to Repugs 36
Venture Capital companies:
Total contributions $3,214,175
Percentage to Dems 73
Percentage to Repugs 23
Mortgage bankers:
Total contributions $895,870
Percentage to Dems 54
Percentage to Repugs 46
Hedge Funds:
Total contributions $2,940,746
Percentage to Dems 61
Percentage to Repugs 39
Oil and Gas:
Total contributions $9,449,321
Percentage to Dems 32
Percentage to Repugs 67
And that brings up another myth that too many Democratic activists want to believe--the idea that "most of the major corporate industries year after year support the Repugs and oppose the Dems"
Campaign contributions for 1994 (when the Dems were in power), 2004 (when the Repugs were in power) and 2010 (when the Dems are again in power) show, across a wide range of industries, a very tight correlation between "party in power" and "party that receives more support"--almost invariably, each party receives more when it is in power, and less when it is not:
Industry: Aerospace Defense
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 59
Percentage to Repugs 41
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 39
Percentage to Repugs 60
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 59
Percentage to Repugs 41
Industry: Airlines
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 63
Percentage to Repugs 37
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 38
Percentage to Repugs 61
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 59
Percentage to Repugs 41
Industry: Auto Manufacturers
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 47
Percentage to Repugs 53
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 35
Percentage to Repugs 65
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 63
Percentage to Repugs 37
Industry: Mortgage Banks
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 64
Percentage to Repugs 36
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 35
Percentage to Repugs 65
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 54
Percentage to Repugs 46
Industry: Cruise Lines and Cruise Ships
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 64
Percentage to Repugs 36
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 49
Percentage to Repugs 51
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 85
Percentage to Repugs 15
Industry: Defense Contractors
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 59
Percentage to Repugs 41
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 38
Percentage to Repugs 62
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 58
Percentage to Repugs 42
Industry: Defense Electronics
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 60
Percentage to Repugs 40
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 39
Percentage to Repugs 61
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 57
Percentage to Repugs 43
Industry: Drug Manufacturers and Pharmaceuticals
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 40
Percentage to Repugs 60
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 31
Percentage to Repugs 69
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 54
Percentage to Repugs 46
Industry: HMO's and Health Care Providers
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 63
Percentage to Repugs 37
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 43
Percentage to Repugs 57
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 67
Percentage to Repugs 32
Industry: Insurance
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 44
Percentage to Repugs 56
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 32
Percentage to Repugs 67
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 53
Percentage to Repugs 47
Industry: Lobbyists
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 74
Percentage to Repugs 26
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 48
Percentage to Repugs 52
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 67
Percentage to Repugs 32
Industry: Telecomms
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 55
Percentage to Repugs 45
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 41
Percentage to Repugs 59
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 55
Percentage to Repugs 45
Industry: Securities and Investment
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 51
Percentage to Repugs 48
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 48
Percentage to Repugs 51
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 63
Percentage to Repugs 36
Industry: Steel Manufacturers
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 46
Percentage to Repugs 54
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 27
Percentage to Repugs 72
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 51
Percentage to Repugs 49
Industry: Oil and Gas
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 38
Percentage to Repugs 62
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 19
Percentage to Repugs 80
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 32
Percentage to Repugs 67
Industry: Agribusiness
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 40
Percentage to Repugs 60
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 28
Percentage to Repugs 71
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 47
Percentage to Repugs 53
Industry: Labor Unions
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 96
Percentage to Repugs 4
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 87
Percentage to Repugs 13
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 92
Percentage to Repugs 7
Industry: Motion Pictures
1994 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 90
Percentage to Repugs 10
2004 Elections (Repugs in power):
Percentage to Dems 86
Percentage to Repugs 14
2010 Elections (Dems in power):
Percentage to Dems 91
Percentage to Repugs 9
That, my friends, is the reality.
My apologies in advance to all the blue-pennant ideologues here who simply don't want to hear that or to believe it. Reality sucks. Get used to it. (shrug)
All of the campaign contribution information comes from
OpenSecrets.org: Money in Politics -- See Who's Giving & Who's Getting which is the website of the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit nonpartisan group which tracks campaign contributions through the FEC and breaks them down by party, by year, and by industry. (I highly highly highly encourage everyone to spend a few hours poking around that site--it will show you many many things that you absolutely will not like.)