Pondering a donation to a presidential candidate? Looking for the right choice given the needs of your special-interest group?
Friends — look no further than Opensecrets.org, a data-rich Web site published by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Using a handy drop-down menu, Open Secrets provides a quick and easy reference guide to which special interest groups and which candidates are most copacetic.
Lawyers and lobbyists prefer Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, with more than $15 million and $13 million in donations, respectively, as of March 20.
The communications and electronics sector also prefers Democrats, donating more than $7 million to Obama and more than $6 million to Clinton.
Agribusiness, on the other hand, had opted for Republicans — but their top choices, Romney ($744,750) and Giuliani ($717,144) turned out to be losing bets.
In the defense sector, Clinton ($307,425) far outstripped Obama ($195,132) and even McCain ($227,274)
The financial, insurance and real estate sectors are all investing heavily in Democrats, with more than $18 million going to Clinton and $15 million to Obama.
Other special-interest sectors include energy, transportation, health, construction and labor.
It’s worth noting that even though each sector clearly has its preferences, they all invested generously in every single candidate, from the primaries right up to the present.
Source:
“Selected Sector Total to Candidates”
Center for Responsive Politics, March 20, 2008
PREVIOUSLY ON NEWSDESK.org:
“Who Wants to Buy A President?”
Newsdesk.org, March 27, 2008