Peter Thiel helped put Hawley, Vance in the Senate. Don’t let billionaires run the US
While everyone seems to be distracted in the aftermath of the midterms, I can’t help but sound an alarm from the central Missouri rock I live under. I understand that we live in a time when money is synonymous with political campaigns — so much so that the $50 million spending spree in the primary for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat this year caused barely a batted eye.
Political action committees, both independent and tied to individual races, flood every state with millions in dark money and spam the airwaves with attack ads. Billionaires and corporations hedge their bets with a paltry million or two for each side, while you and I get incessant emails asking for another $5 to save democracy.
It’s mind-numbing, and that’s by design — but I can’t help but be concerned when a single person can assert so much influence unchecked. What’s more concerning is that this is not some shadowy figure pulling strings at the back doors of Capitol Hill, but a very public and proud figure (who I’d argue is addicted to the limelight).
Megarich PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel spent more than $30 million on the midterms and has in effect successfully purchased a Senate seat in Ohio.
This isn’t the first time the tech entrepreneur has shilled out a bid on a political campaign, and some of his other attempts hit close to home. Not only did he burn a couple million on Kris Kobach’s failed U.S. Senate run, but Thiel was kind enough to make a crucial donation to a young Josh Hawley’s campaign for Missouri attorney general. The two have a Stanford connection, and it seems some of Thiel’s skepticism of Google is shared by Hawley — the now-senator led an antitrust investigation of the company from the political springboard that was Missouri’s attorney general office. That was a good return on the billionaire’s investment.
Thiel changed tactics in this last election, primarily funding the Senate campaigns of Arizona’s Blake Masters and Ohio’s J.D. Vance, both of whom worked for him in the past.
I understand that most of us are too busy trying to make ends meet and are exhausted by the current political climate, but folks, this is of grave concern. While Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are having a very public cat fight and Democrats are beating their chests for having defeated Trumpism, a message is reverberating among the “elites” both sides pretend to oppose. That message? Senate seats are for sale — and the price tag is lower than you’d think.
Whether you agree with Vance’s policy views or vehemently despise his Democratic opponent Tim Ryan, ask yourself what you think will happen now that Vance has won office: Do you believe he will be beholden to the people of Ohio, or to Thiel, who appointed him a principal at Mithril Capital, then funded his venture capital firm, alternative video platform and now Senate campaign?
Unlike Thiel and Vance, I don’t think you’re stupid, but I’ll make the obvious clear: Whatever Thiel says, Vance does. Just like Hawley waging a war against Big Tech companies — except for those chaired by his funder.
This is not a partisan issue. We all agree that money has far too much influence in politics. No matter how extreme, centrist or apolitical you believe yourself, we can all agree this is unacceptable. The millions of voters —those who donated to campaigns, volunteered, canvassed and raised funds — have been outvoiced by a billionaire with money to burn.
Is this really where we are headed — a collection of billionaire-funded grifters filling the halls of Congress? I beg you, fellow Missourians, fellow Americans, please do not allow this to continue.
I refuse to be governed by the minions of Peter Thiel, Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos — or any other billionaires with an agenda. Call your senators, send them letters, scream from the rooftops, raise some Cain. Without fundamental and systemic campaign finance reform, we are doomed to be ruled by cowards and sycophants.
This story was originally published November 20, 2022 at 6:30 AM.