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There Is Officially No Difference Between Jeb And Hillary, Whose Biggest Donors Are The Same

Tyler Durden's picture




 

What many have tacitly known for a long time was finally confirmed overnight when an analysis of Federal Election Commission data by Vocativ and The Daily Beast found that of the 60 or so ultra-rich Americans - aka the mega-donors - who have contributed to both Jeb Bush’s and Hillary Clinton’s federal campaigns, seventeen of those contributors have gone one step further and opened their wallets to fund both Bush’s and Clinton’s 2016 ambitions.

None of this is a surprise: back in March, when showing the support of what may be the most important backer for any future president, Goldman Sachs, we explained as much. In "As Jeb Bush Pounces On The Hillary Email Scandal, The Real Winner Is... Goldman Sachs" we wrote:

"Goldman likes to play both sides of the fence and that’s especially true of a race like this where either of these two candidates — Bush and Clinton — could ultimately be helpful to them,” said Charles Geisst, a Wall Street historian at Manhattan College. Campaign finance experts say Goldman is hoping another President Bush or President Clinton would both push for Wall Street-friendly policies and draw on Goldman’s executive ranks for expertise, a practice that has fallen out of favor in the years following the financial crisis.

Today, we get confirmation that what Goldman is doing is precisely the same tactic employed by all the other super-donors: "why support just Hillary Clinton or just Jeb Bush when you can hedge your bets and donate to both? This seems to be the thinking of a group of powerful men and women—racetrack owners, bankers, media barons, chicken magnates, hedge funders (and their spouses). Some of them have net worths that can eclipse the GDPs of small countries.

Larry Noble, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, told The Daily Beast that it’s a common practice among a small number of people. "Some of them will say they believe in the process, but the truth is you usually see them giving to people who will be most helpful to them if [the politician] gets into office,” he said. “They are not necessarily Republicans or Democrats, they are business people first.”

 

Some of them said personal connections are driving the double donations. Many work in industries that depend on the federal government for their continued operation. A few have had brushes with the law. One donor said he’s soured on Hillary, and is now on Team Jeb. Another claimed that he gave to Clinton by mistake.

Some examples of bet "hedgers" include David Stevens, CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, whose chief economist Larry Yun has been the butt of jokes for decades:

David Stevens, the CEO of the real estate lobbying group the Mortgage Bankers Association, was in the government himself. Stevens served in the Obama administration as the assistant secretary for housing and as Federal Housing Administration (FHA) commissioner at the Department of Housing and Urban Development from July 2009 to April 2011.

But that doesn’t mean he’s completely onboard with his fellow administration alum.

 

His résumé reflects dual political loyalties. He’s served every Republican president since Richard Nixon and in 1997 was appointed to a task force by President George W. Bush to help study the best way to overhaul social security.

 

 

However, he also advised then-President-Elect Obama as part of the Economic Transition Team in 2008. Parsons did not return attempts for comment.

 

“I want to focus on candidates who best represent issues of housing and issues important to me and are not extreme, especially on the social issues that are important to me,” he said. Stevens has given $2,700 to Hillary For America and $1,000 to Jeb 2016. He said he has watched with great concern about the increased polarization of both parties.

But at the end of the day, Stevens conceded it’s also about access. “While [Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush] don’t make commitments, obviously, I want to make sure my views are presented to them, because they are considered more center-left or center-right,” he said.

Richard Parsons, the former head of Time Warner and now a senior adviser at Providence Equity Partners Inc., has donated the maximum $2,700 to both the Clinton and Bush presidential campaigns.

James R. Borynack, the owner of Wally Findlay Galleries — is another supporter of both sides, although he prefers to keep a low profile:
“[Borynack] has no detailed comments at this time, other than to support both Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush equally as presidential candidates,” a spokeswoman said.

Curiously, another such ambi-supporter is The other is Robert Foresman, head of Barclays’s business in Russia. Foresman’s Russia ties include the state-owned energy company that is one of Putin’s biggest levers against the West. Russia’s state-owned Gazprom provides critical gas to nearly two dozen European countries—and has shut off energy to countries in dispute with Russia. In the early 2000s, Foresman was nominated as a candidate to the board of directors of Gazprom, but was never actually appointed to the board, according to the company’s website.

Some unmasked donors prefer to remain in the shadows: "one Wall Street donor, who asked to remain anonymous because he considered the donation to Hillary “embarrassing,” said he gave money to her Senate race after a bundler friend asked him for a contribution. He noted he asked the bundler friend to donate to a Republican in return."

There are many more such donor,s who like Goldman Sachs are all about "hedging" their bets, and the full list can be found in he original Daily Beast piece, a summary of which is shown below:

 

... and while none of this will come as a surprise to our readers, it may be a shock to the rest of America.

Or maybe judging by the surging popularity of such anti-establishment candidates as Donald Trump, the realization that the left and the right all serve the same masters, has finally seeped out.

 

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Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:41 | 6393786 ted41776
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because voting matters

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:42 | 6393789 kralizec
kralizec's picture

(Diet Dew spews from nose)

LOL!

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:43 | 6393793 PartysOver
PartysOver's picture

No shiat Sherlock

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:45 | 6393813 Ruffmuff
Ruffmuff's picture

Yes they are different. Hillary is a cunt and Jeb is bigger cunt.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:49 | 6393836 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

They are both cunts for the banksters.

If voting mattered, it would be declared a national security risk.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:25 | 6394015 The9thDoctor
The9thDoctor's picture

Of course, there is no difference between Jeb and Hillary. They are from the same happy "family"!

George W.: Jeb Could Beat 'Sister-In-Law' Hillary
https://youtu.be/CBOdvNWNz2E

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 14:14 | 6394198 TeamDepends
TeamDepends's picture

Tyler, this might make an interesting thread: Last night, while combatting a particularly foul-mouthed progressive, we came across this quote from Karl Marx: "Democracy is the road to socialism." Well, add that to Lenin's "the goal of socialism is communism" and you get "democracy leads inexorably towards communism"!!! Now, during at least the first century of its existence, the US gov was NEVER referred to as a democracy. But then, it started creeping into the vernacular right around the time (100 years ago) that the communist party USA, realizing that the word "communist" was toxic, began calling themselves "progressives". So McCarthy was right, we WERE being infiltrated by commies on every level. Take a look at Hollywood, many were/are card-carrying red diaper babies. We have Weather Underground scum in the White House. If Jeb/Hil/Sanders win it is game over not just for the middle class, but anyone who cherishes liberty.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:59 | 6393870 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

Quick story from Delaware County, PA.  Note: this is NOT Philadelphia.  This is "the burbs" that are generally solidly conservative or at least Republican.

The Republican party put up a guy by the name of Tom Mullen for the 161st state congressional district.  Only thing is, he's a DEMOCRAT.  He supported Obama in both his presidential bids and Democrat Tom Wolf when he ran (successfully) for governor in PA in 2014.  

Tom is also a union boss.  And he said he wouldn't give up his union position (pasying $200K/yr) even if he is elected, which he probably will be.

If you are having trouble getting the concept of "there is do difference between the parties" through your head, perhaps this will help you understand.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 19:26 | 6395387 BullyBearish
BullyBearish's picture

Exactly...unbank, don't validate a corrupt system by voting, and spread the word

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 16:19 | 6394754 Stan522
Stan522's picture

No more Bushes in the White House including Hillary

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 16:19 | 6394755 Stan522
Stan522's picture

No more Bushes in the White House including Hillary

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 16:19 | 6394756 Stan522
Stan522's picture

No more Bushes in the White House including Hillary

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 16:19 | 6394757 Stan522
Stan522's picture

No more Bushes in the White House including Hillary

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 16:19 | 6394758 Stan522
Stan522's picture

No more Bushes in the White House including Hillary

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:50 | 6393815 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

Just say NO to the banksters, and have the courage to keep saying NO.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:44 | 6393802 AlaricBalth
AlaricBalth's picture

Jebillry Bushton for President!!!!

Campaign motto: If you liked the last 28 years, your gonna love the next 8!!!

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:47 | 6393823 38BWD22
38BWD22's picture

 

 

Too true.  *Sigh*

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:44 | 6393804 KnuckleDragger-X
KnuckleDragger-X's picture

The price office rental is going up......

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:46 | 6393822 upWising
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"With the Republicans and the Democrats, it's like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb.  There's not a dime's worth of difference between the two."

––George C. Wallace, 1968.  (Eerstwhile Presidential Candidate, Governor and FIrst Gentleman of Alabama, and inveterate racist who repented in his old age).

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:50 | 6393843 corporatewhore
corporatewhore's picture

and what happened to George?

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:48 | 6393833 laboratorymike
laboratorymike's picture

The votes that matter have mostly been cast already, with a confirmation in January. My contacts back in Iowa say that the establishment wants Bush vs. Clinton, so while I support neither I expect both to win their caucus votes.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:02 | 6393910 HopefulCynical
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I want the Establishment hung by their short 'n curlies.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 14:59 | 6394392 laboratorymike
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To give you an idea of how uphill the battle is, the establishment has a fully-equipped call center with a paid supervisor in Story County, where I used to live. When I had to set one up in 2014 for Liberty iowa my budget was $50. Fortunately a friendof mine gave me space in a basement on Main Street.

That said, one positive thing I saw was that it takes only 0.5-1% of the population to 'take over' a major polictical party in terms of internal elections. The votes are on paper and I counted them once; trickery has to be much more overt and is harder to hide. However, in my experience it's like pulling teeth to get the ~50 people our county needed to swing the internal elections, and even then the establishment people will resort to childish actions like cutting the lights or pulling the fire alarms. I guess I would too if people were going after my $200k+ of annual "political consultant" fees.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 14:27 | 6394253 Jumbotron
Jumbotron's picture

Welcome to the Fascist Corp/Gov State of America

#votingmatters/sarc

 

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:41 | 6393787 Hype Alert
Hype Alert's picture

I think Trump called it a business transaction.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:41 | 6393788 Hype Alert
Hype Alert's picture

Double post

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:42 | 6393790 Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch's picture

It's just business.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:43 | 6393795 Condor96
Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:43 | 6393796 malek
malek's picture

$2700?

Yawn. Come back with an article if we're talking real money.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:57 | 6393872 laboratorymike
laboratorymike's picture

These are the publicly traceable amounts.

Donations to 501(c)4's are not included, and typically are not required to report who donated to them. I know this b/c I volunteered for a 501(c)4; there are plenty of people who would be ruined if they donated to an org, an activist group found out, and then pestered that man's boss or customers. But for ZH the more exciting parts is that plenty of dark money moves through these + super PACs.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:09 | 6393945 Hugh G Rection
Hugh G Rection's picture

I'll bet you a shiny shekel that Saban and Addleson are tossing millions at these shabbos goy turds.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:43 | 6393798 Scooby Doo
Scooby Doo's picture

America's rulers are financing two sides of the same coin.  So, no matter which one wins, they win too.  

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 14:12 | 6394155 fleur de lis
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We'll get stuck with either Jeb of Hellery. No way would the NWO psychopaths allow anyone but one of those two into that lead acting role.

Trump is clearly leading the pack but he will not get the nomination. They will hand it over to Jeb as planned. 

Unless they find a photo of Hellery eating a baby she will get the nom. Otherwise Joe will cover for her but she will still run the show.

Even if Trump goes third party one of the other two will pick up the prize, it was planned that way all along.

The rest is a juvenile Kabuki matinee to entertain the masses to make them think they can affect the outcome.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 16:09 | 6394698 laboratorymike
laboratorymike's picture

I got to count the votes for my precinct at the Iowa 2012 caucuses, and something that really surprised me was how much support Romney got even though he did 0 campaigning and had only 1 visible supporter in the three neighborhoods I worked in. Ron Paul's campaign managed to get someone into ~95% of the vote counting stations, so we did confirm the vote independently (IA caucuses are done on paper). Later on, at the conventions, I asked people about it, and a lot were scratching their heads and literally asking "Why did I vote for him? He seemed like a great guy at the time but I wish I voted for someone else."

At least my precinct didn't back him. Not that it matters.

My only thought is media manipulation, they were cramming "But Romney can winnnn!" in our face constantly, along with Santorum as a vote drain from Ron Paul. We saw similar action in the gubernatorial election, where Branstad's main opponent lost because another minor opponent suddenly tripped over a million in donations. The 2014 Senate nomination was the same way; Joni Ernst's main opponent got a nomination from the lieutenant governor for a lesser (but still significant) state position after he generously bowed out of a race he was close to winning.

Keep in mind these were all internal to the poiltical party, done with paper ballots, with the votes confirmed by Liberty people who participated in the vote counting. The corruption, trading elections, trumped up charges against opponents, etc. are all part of a very eleborate show to get people to willingly vote for the 'right' person. My main conspiracy theory is that 'you can't affect the outcome' is another part of the game, because they know that 1-2% of the population could turn the whole show over, so keeping everyone convinced that they shouldn't try is the last-ditch method of preventing said 1-2% of people from taking the concrete actions that would absolutely shut all of them out, or force them to go full retard.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:44 | 6393805 JustObserving
JustObserving's picture

Both will take their orders from the NSA without any questions.  So they will be the nominees. The Deep State always wins

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:48 | 6393811 Dr. Engali
Dr. Engali's picture

There is one difference: Jeb has a pussy and Hillary has a dick. Put them together and we have Caitlyn running (well pretend to run) the country.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:48 | 6393831 upWising
upWising's picture

"running" or "ruining" the country.  One letter makes a big difference.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:53 | 6393858 Implied Violins
Implied Violins's picture

It makes one wonder: if you are a prominent businessman, and you DON'T give money to all the top candidates, will you make their shit list if one you didn't fund wins? Could this simply be self-preservation on display?

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:56 | 6393866 orangegeek
orangegeek's picture

a political hedge, sorta like a calendar spread, but not quite

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:56 | 6393867 yrad
yrad's picture

These are the top donors with a war chest of 100b? Oh ya, corporations are people now...

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 12:59 | 6393889 Duc888
Duc888's picture

 

 

 

Two Party Fraud.

 

 

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:04 | 6393923 NoWayJose
NoWayJose's picture

They will vote exactly the same anyway.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:06 | 6393936 RiverDrifter
RiverDrifter's picture

Let's call these donations what they really are....bribes for future favors.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:15 | 6393962 VladLenin
VladLenin's picture

If the U.S. is ever going to be a no-shit banana republic with street cred, Americans need to start "disappearing" some folks. You can't have healthy civil strife without all sides participating in this important and entertaining activity. Fuck Jesus... What would Saddam do?

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:19 | 6393985 Squid Viscous
Squid Viscous's picture

we need another idiot like Dick Parsons to pop this bubble, like Time Warner/AOL in 2000...

this guy should be selling insurance after that... instead he's some kind of Uncle Tom business genius? wtf??

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:20 | 6393989 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

Zion's funding of their theater.

Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is submission..

 

Can I get donations for my guillotine?

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:21 | 6393992 ItsDanger
ItsDanger's picture

At least this tells you who the oligarchy supports.  Vote accordingly.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:26 | 6394018 Puchica
Puchica's picture

"The only thing dumber than a Democrat or a Republican is when those pricks work together. You see, in our two-party system, the Democrats are the party of no ideas and the Republicans are the party of bad ideas. It usually goes something like this. A Republican will stand up in Congress and say, "I've got a really bad idea." And a Democrat will immediately jump to his feet and declare, "And I can make it shittier." -Lewis Black

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:31 | 6394041 Squid Viscous
Squid Viscous's picture

minus one cuz he's a not so funny kike

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:39 | 6394066 roadhazard
roadhazard's picture

plus one because he talks like I think.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:33 | 6394047 NachoLiebor
NachoLiebor's picture

Read my lips, no new Bushes (or new Clintons either).

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:33 | 6394053 Ban KKiller
Ban KKiller's picture

Oligarchy for president. 

Plutocracy for vice president. 

Your vote is useless. 

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:51 | 6394109 scatha
scatha's picture

How much proof or arguments pre-programmed US electorate has to be confronted with before they snap out of their torpor.

All politicians are just puppets with oligarch hand up their asses. Take your pick: Clinton or Bush Again? Are we insane?

REPEAT: THERE IS NO CHOICE PRESENTED TO AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR 2016 ELECTIONS BUT CONTINUATION OF OLIGARCHIC STATE AS IT IS NOW, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

US ELECTIONS DO NOT WORK FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE FOR AT LEAST 40 YEARS NOW. THAT'S THE FACT.

Gullibility of most of American people never ceases to amaze me. Time and again, another political ploy, a phony candidate that “hates” establishment that brought him to prominence and undeserved, wealth will save us and leads us to Promised Land, a pledge to be broken as soon as we cast our votes like sheep. What a shit.  How many times may we believe in the same political trickery devoid of merit until we are declared insane or retarded?

 

Only boycott has any political weight or visible expression in this corrupt system. Let them be elect themselves by 10% of population then we could claim that their illegitimacy to rule and demand their departure from political realm.

Whole establishment must go!!!. Let's not prostitute our vote no more!!! Let's not be corrupted this time around. Enough is enough!!!

Neither Trump nor well-mannered Greens or anybody who suck tit of establishment won't make any difference if they run or not.

As Stalin once said. It is not important who's being elected or
who votes for who. What matters is who is counting the votes (Bush-Gore 2000,Bush-Kerry 2004).

We should be counting votes if we want to win. We could have easily and cheaply electronic ALTERNATIVE election for alternative programs and ALTERNATIVE candidates (that never run for office and are unaffiliated with any political formation) who would commit to execute those political programs that can truly represent our political aspiration as a nation. Elections, followed all web practically no cost campaign on YT or elsewhere, protected via secure block chain technology guaranteeing accuracy since everyone would be able to check whether his/her vote was counted up. At minimum it could be media event where Americans can voice they vision of America instead of sheeple fest.

The only choice we have for today is absolute boycott of elections as 150 millions of true American patriots are already doing and election after election vastly outnumbering electoral zombies of the American Oligarch Party in their inhumane march into poling/feeding stations to get their rotten meat and in the process to validate murder and mayhem done in our names.

For those who still think they can organize and win "their" election. Here is a gem. The fallacy of this sort of democracy is nowhere better illustrated than in case of Italy where for over 30 years after WWII Italian communist party alone or communist/socialist coalition WON EVERY SINGLE NATIONAL ELECTION and was never asked by president to form government resulting in 39 minority governments all under watchful eye of American protectors of democracy and US navy.

We’re dealing here” with autocratic system disguised as democratic chaos, fake uncertainty or illusion of chance and propaganda of opportunity for all. We might even win, one shot in a billion, in "their" elections but we would never get to rule without blood spilled in the streets.

Idea of boycott is the only viable idea to express our political views that are absent from the ballots.

It was already successfully done in other countries via establishment shadow or alternative political system with free elections and establishment of institutions that serve people.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 13:52 | 6394115 Dig Deeper1
Dig Deeper1's picture

I think this just means that Democracy is still in effect in the land of the free.  Like a game of roulette they are just hedging their bet by playing both blue and red.  The actual outcome of the popularity contest then becomes quite inconsequential.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 14:03 | 6394156 Richie Cunningham
Richie Cunningham's picture

In the words of a company that benefited modestly from ethanol related mandates in the 90's, Archer Daniels Midland, they funded both parties because they "support the political process". So don't be hatin' on these people. They're goddam patriots.

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 14:20 | 6394217 Berspankme
Berspankme's picture

It's called hedging

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 14:22 | 6394235 RagnarRedux
RagnarRedux's picture
CNN Goldman Sachs & the Zio Matrix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw9EhjyU3JU

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 16:14 | 6394654 Youri Carma
Youri Carma's picture

Better Headline in my humble opinion: There Is Officially No Difference Between Bush IVth & Clinton IIIth, Whose Biggest Donors Are The Same

Wed, 08/05/2015 - 22:24 | 6395981 Prober
Prober's picture

Obviously the shit-for-brains who wasted resources on this post does not understand that the outcome of elections is determined by counting the votes of the proletariat entitlement-tit-sucking masses, NOT by donations to election campaigns.

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