How ActBlue has transformed Democratic politics

[brooklynite]

Politico

For four years, President Donald Trump and allies have dismissed signs of opposition, from rough polling numbers to big protests. But there’s no denying the overwhelming force of millions of people hitting ActBlue’s “donate” buttons.

Democrats from Joe Biden all the way down the ballot have buried Republican opponents under a remarkable avalanche of campaign ads, fueled by billions donated this year through ActBlue, the ubiquitous online fundraising processor for Democratic campaigns. Their wild success in 2020 has reshaped the way candidates not only raise money but campaign for office, building a culture of contributions as civic engagement that has grown into an overwhelming force. Republicans have tried to match it, but they still lag behind.

Amid all the once-in-a-lifetime features of this election, the explosion of online fundraising may be the one that truly transforms politics over time. And at the center is ActBlue, whose staff carefully grew a small startup over 16 years, enticing more and more Democratic campaigns to use it, making donating as easy as possible and guaranteeing that the platform essentially never crashes, especially in the most important and high-traffic moments — like if a Supreme Court justice dies unexpectedly and small donors rush to give a combined $70 million to candidates and causes in 24 hours.

Some Democrats already worry about a different kind of crash, questioning what happens to the online fundraising machine they’ve built when Trump is no longer president. But those nagging concerns are nothing compared to the disbelief, confusion or even anger from some Republicans, who have struggled to come to grips with the idea that this many online donors are really lining up against them.