The grassroots support Bernie Sanders has amassed throughout his campaign to become the Democratic presidential nominee is undeniable. Sanders has been supported by small-dollar contributions throughout his campaign, and since donors who give $200 or less don't have to have names publicized, little has been known about the donors. More than 1 million small-donor contributors gave nearly two-thirds of Sanders' funding.
However, since Sanders relies on a fundraising tool called ActBlue, all donors must be disclosed regardless of the size of contribution. This has allowed the LA Times to perform an analysis on the donors behind the man who has given (and continues to give) Hillary Clinton so much trouble, and the result is stunning.
The study found that many donors resemble Emily Condit, 40 of Sylmar, who has contributed three times, $5 each. Condit, who has several physical disabilities, is among the largest single group of Sanders' donors - those who don't have a job. Out of the $209 million given to the senator's campaign, about one out of every four dollars came from those not in the workforce, who include the unemployed or retired.
For the last 15 years since Condit left a job at NASA, her ailments have kept her from working. She depends on Social Security and lives on a tight budget but has found money for Sanders because she was drawn to his populist message. "I know very well now what it's like to be a have-not, both financially and physically, and to fall through the cracks of society. Bernie Sanders is running on a platform to lift up the have-nots and to
improve the system of government we have, so that no one will ever be
left behind." Condit said.
The study also found that Sanders received just 2% from Wall Street, which shouldn't surprise anyone. Because Sanders' backers tend to donate multiple times, the average donar gave a total of $96 - the typical donor gave three times, but some gave far more frequently.
Not all were small however. Jeremy Abramowitz, a recent graduate from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, gave Sanders' campaign more than $5,000 in more than 200 separate donations. Abramowitz said he started sending money after reading negative posts about Sanders on Facebook, and lost track of how much he was giving. "When somebody said something that annoyed me, I'd give an extra dollar. It just all added up." - it's unclear if Jeremy is living at home and can afford to donate due to not having to pay any rent.
So in an interesting if not incredibly ironic turn of events, Sanders is financing his campaign primarily through the government - and we have now come full circle.