Club for Growth
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The Club for Growth is an American conservative 501(c)4 non-profit Super-PAC.
The Club for Growth successfully grows the Democratic Party by clubbing sitting Republican incumbents over the head with primary challenges from the far-right. Congressional seats in states as diverse as Maryland and Idaho have swung to Democratic control after Club for Growth-backed candidates won their Republican primaries. In 2009 an impending primary challenge from a Club for Growth leader drove center-right Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania to switch to the Democrats.
The slogan "New York Times-reading, latte-drinking, National Public Radio-listening, Volvo-driving, body-piercing freak show" comes from a Club for Growth-sponsored ad from 2004.[1] Because trashing coffee and reliable cars and journalism are great conservative traits.
Policy[edit]
The chief policies the CfG advocate for are extremely libertarian-leaning. They advocate for eliminating the estate tax[note 1], cutting income tax rates, supporting "limited government", the privatization of social infrastructure, free trade, "school choice," and tort reform.[2]
The CfG have also been heavy on pushing climate policy that benefits the interests of big oil, notably having pushed for Trump to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement,[3] as he later did.
The CfG, unsurprisingly, are also cryptocurrency grifters. They even have a PAC called (what else) the "Bitcoin Freedom PAC".[4] Unsurprisingly, this important activism in the fight for currency freedom calls for elections against Democrats and no significant policy proposals.
2020 US election[edit]
The CfG spent tons of money, to the tunes of millions, to candidates that pushed bullshit conspiracy theories about the 2020 U.S. presidential election that caused the 2021 U.S. coup attempt. Among those who the CfG backed include Josh Hawley and Qanon nut Lauren Boebert.[5]
See also[edit]
- Peter Thiel — one of their "action" wing's big donors[6][7]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Because of course.
References[edit]
- ↑ Presidential Ad War Under Way, CNN
- ↑ https://www.clubforgrowth.org/issues/
- ↑ https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/332518-club-for-growth-calling-on-trump-to-exit-paris-climate-deal/
- ↑ https://www.clubforgrowth.org/about/bitcoin-freedom-pac/
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/15/trump-republicans-election-defeat-club-for-growth
- ↑ Dave Levinthal (August 20, 2012). "Thiel gives tea party super PAC $1M". Politico.
- ↑ Theodore Schleifer (October 18, 2018). "Peter Thiel cut his largest check to the GOP since Trump’s 2016 win". Vox.