"I can't stay quiet": Melinda French Gates backs Biden in first-ever POTUS endorsement

Rapidcreek@lemmy.world to politics @lemmy.world – 329 points –
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Please back that up with enough money to more than offset Miriam Adelson

You can also use the Goods Unite Us app to do business with companies that donate to the democrat party

Do these companies also donate to the republican party? Or can you filter out those companies?

Yes, as a lot of them do. It uses a ratio scale. If you create an account then select either political affiliation or no political affiliation then it will suggest which companies fit in best for your values.

There's every indication that we'll see another huge mystery donation soon like Biden got last cycle.

Impetus has been quiet so far. But campaign finance experts have noticed stirrings. Earlier this month, after four years of operation, Impetus launched a website. Entering the campaign late, as it did in 2020, has advantages. If Impetus cranks up its fundraising later this summer, the dark money watch dogs will have nothing to chase until public filings are disclosed — after the election is over. Impetus did not respond to a request for comment.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-64-million-mystery-anonymous-donations-2024-presidential-campaign/

I.posted that article the other day, but it was so up voted I doubt anyone read it first.

Most speculate the money originated with a single, super-wealthy Biden supporter. But it could also have come from a privately held company or a shell corporation, an increasingly common tactic used by well-heeled donors seeking to add layers of anonymity to their political largesse. It remains a $64 million mystery — and while legal, it's one that critics say underscores what's wrong with today's campaign finance system.

"Without information about who is funding groups spending to influence elections, voters won't know who is trying to color their views, won't be aware of any potential conflicts of interest that a funder has or what stake they may have in the outcome of the election," said Anna Massoglia, editorial and investigations manager at OpenSecrets, a non-partisan watchdog organization that tracks the influence of money on politics.

Money isn't Biden's concern, votes are. Well, at least that should be.

That’s because she doesn’t hang out with child molesters like Trump and bill gates.

I mean..... she was married to one of those guys for over 2 decades

And she got rid of him when she found out.

He had several affairs become public, and that's what led to the divorce, don't just make shit up. Qanon is not a reliable source.

Wait, what? What's the context?

Bill Gates

a) is a billionaire

b) met with Epstein many times

c) got his ass divorced because she found about his affair with a 20 year old, which Epstein knew about

From her Wikipedia article:

According to The Wall Street Journal, Melinda Gates had been meeting with divorce lawyers since at least October 2019 after Bill's business dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became public, and she had warned him about associating with Epstein as early as 2013.

That's circumstantial evidence. I'm not saying Gates is a saint. It's just that no one has given me real proof of that claim.

Why don't Child Rapists and Racists and Billionaires who kill Whistleblowers support Biden? CHECKMATE LIBRULS!

Just a reminder she was a big part of Microsoft Bob, which without we would not have comic sans. Not relevant to anything here, but an interesting footnote in her career.

Can I get a show of hands on who cares what she thinks?

And I say that as someone who genuinely appreciates what she and her husband have done for charity.

Anyone who knows that money is important to political campaigns in this country.

You can boycott companies who donate to political parties using the Goods Unite Us App

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She seems like a smart person who supports somethings I agree with, so I would like to know what she thinks.

You somehow think her opinion is less important than your ramblings as a nobody on the internet? Wtf is wrong with you?

I don't see where he equated his relevance with hers.

why is she Melinda French Gates now? it's not like anyone would suddenly not recognize the name Melinda Gates. Her name was on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Going by Melinda French Gates seems like something one would do if there was already another Melinda Gates, and one needed to differentiate from them.

Maybe she just wants to user her previous surname more now that she's divorced?

Huh

Melinda French Gates[2] (born Melinda Ann French; August 15, 1964)

wouldn't that be Melinda French-Gates?

If she’s smart, she’ll leave the hyphen out. Anyone with a hyphenated name will tell you that’s it’s annoying as fuck. A lot of digital products and records don’t support hyphens and throw errors when they see the character.

No, the vast majority of people who change their last name to their partners' drop their middle name and replace it with their maiden last name. That's what my wife did, as well as 95% of the people I know who have done this. This is totally average and not actually the thing you're trying to make it out to be.

Not trying to be weird, but to understand - roughly what age range and location are you talking about?

I'm a divorced 52yo woman living in the Chicago suburbs and this is news to me.

I’ve never heard of it before either. It doesn’t seem weird to me. Just, the assertion that it’s overwhelmingly common does not sound right.

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone doing this, kind of an interesting idea.

What do people do where you're from if they change their name after marriage?

My frame of reference is 30-45 year olds in Texas, but also everyone's parents who are 70+ now. What do people do in Chicago?

It varies, but when I was younger I saw more women keeping their married names if they had very young children, but mostly just returning to their maiden names. Over the years I've noticed less women changing their names when they get married, or instead hyphenating their married name. But this is just observations from one socioeconomic viewpoint, so I can't make sweeping statements about the majority.

It's an old-fashioned thing to do. When my cousin got married, my aunt gave her a lot of shit for not doing it, so when I got married, I did it, but I don't know many people my age who have. I'm 39, also born and raised in Chicago (where my aunt and cousin still live), but I'm in California now. My family also has a bit of money (not a ton, but they've always had a decent living) and "family name" type pride, so I'm not sure if that's a factor.

i'm not "trying to make it out" to be anything. i was just curious.

Or if she wanted you to remember who she was (gates) and somehow start to separate herself and distance herself from her former husband.

Many divorced women choose to hyphenate to make a transition of sorts without losing a major part of their identity

as i said in another comment:

wouldn’t that be Melinda French-Gates?

in the article (and others about this), her name isn't hyphenated, and when only referred to by her last name, it's just "Gates"

Gates said that she has voted for both Republicans and Democrats in past elections.

Why does the dash matter so much?

Melinda French Gates[2] (born Melinda Ann French; August 15, 1964)

Probably to bring French to the forefront after divorcing Bill.

Better question would be why she kept Gates but that’s probably for recognition purposes, I’d guess.

That and changing your name is actually pretty annoying, and it only gets more annoying when you have a lot of assets with a particular legal name tied to them.

She has lawyers and accountants that will do a lot of the heavy lifting, but it’s still an obnoxious pain the butt.

It’s pretty common to see people change their name when they get married, but come divorce time say “nah, fuck that, I’m not doing that shit again.”

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