Sunday was the single biggest day for online Democratic donations in years — a significant show of enthusiasm after weeks of sluggish fund-raising.
Democrats greeted President Biden’s departure from the presidential race with an avalanche of cash, donating more than $50 million online on Sunday and making it the single biggest day for online Democratic contributions since the 2020 election — with hours to go.
The huge amount is based on a New York Times analysis of the online ticker of contributions maintained by ActBlue, the leading site processing Democratic donations.
With Mr. Biden gone and Vice President Kamala Harris building momentum to claim the nomination, Democrats went online to contribute at a startling pace. Donations spiked from an average of less than $200,000 per hour in the hours before Mr. Biden quit to nearly $11.5 million in a single hour later on Sunday, the analysis shows.
I have a lot of respect for Biden. It takes a lot to admit that you might not be fit to serve anymore after listening to his peers, the public, and doctors and deciding to step down. I would have voted for him anyway, but it’s rare to see someone forfeit their position like that.
It won’t really change my party vote, but I guess I have some reading to do in the next few weeks.
My mindset was that the presidency is like the one ring in terms of its allure, corrupting influence, and sheer power. A wicked man only recently made a fairly credible effort to destroy the country to keep it, defeated by the unexpected resistance of his right hand man who feared allowing his victory. It all reads very much like a modern day Tolkienesque about the fragility of men’s honor, and so I did not really believe that Biden, after a lifetime of earnestly seeking the white house, would stand down from the pursuit. Whatever happens next, it was an impressive display of character.