Ok, look, I get it. You're probably wondering: Mike Reid, who the fuck are YOU to be calling yourself a political insider and having the audacity to launch a retreat program for disillusioned Democrats?
For that reason and others, I've prepared this brief Q&A:
Q: So....who the fuck are YOU to be calling yourself a political insider and having the audacity to launch a retreat program for disillusioned Democrats?
A: I'm Mike Reid. Who are you?
Q: I guess I'm nobody important in Democratic politics if I don't know who you are. But again, who exactly are you...??
A: I got started in politics in 2009, as a high dollar fundraiser for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's 2010 campaign, where I learned all about how to raise money from millionaires and billionaires. But then, in 2011 — right after the Democrats lost the House — I quit and I moved to West Palm Beach and worked 7 days a week for a year and a half as finance director (what the head of fundraising is called in politics) for Lois Frankel. And we flipped a red House seat blue in 2012 and Lois is still a member of Congress today.
Then, in 2013, I quit once again and tried to flip another House seat in New York's Hudson Valley, but after a year as the manager of Sean Eldridge's struggling campaign I got myself fired in June 2014 — which was great because I then got a job at Anne Lewis Strategies (now MissionWired) and I became one of the very few people in Democratic politics who understands both high dollar and digital fundraising.
I ran digital fundraising programs for senators, for Super PACs like Senate Majority PAC, for state parties like Ken Martin's Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, and for aspiring governors like Gavin Newsom — but in 2016 Trump won and so I quit once again, and I started my own firm that provided both high dollar and digital fundraising for House challengers.
And oh boy wasn't it fun to be a Democrat back in 2017-2018!?
But then things got a lot harder in 2019, and 2020 was a mess of a year — but we made it all the way to January 2021 before things really started to fall apart.
And yes, if I could go back and live 2021 all over again, I would do a thousand things differently! But, on the other hand, I was only able to learn some very valuable lessons by making the mistakes I did and failing so painfully and publicly. And the silver lining was also that after it all fell apart I had an unusual amount of free time — so in 2022 I learned web design and video editing, two skills that even as a 'digital expert' I didn't have.
And then in 2023 and 2024, suddenly there was all this new AI technology — so I learned ChatGPT and a whole bunch of other AI content tools that are only getting more and more powerful.
So in short, I am a Democratic insider who spent a dozen years behind the scenes, but then was NOT involved in the Democratic disaster of 2024 — and now that Pluto has entered Aquarius until 2043 (Aquarius is all about innovation), I think my skills could be of service again because the Democrats could really use some outside-the-box thinking right about now, don't you think?
Q: Yes!! Jesus Christ, it's pathetic to watch the Democrats right now. I honestly have to turn it off most of the time. But, ummm, what's with all this talk about Pluto???
A: Right now, the Democrats don't have a foundational message, because the whole thing was built off of love of Obama, but we're never going to have another leader like Obama, because Pluto's just finished up 16 years in Capricorn (all about top-down leadership) and has moved into Aquarius (all about bottom-up collaboration and innovation). And you can believe in the astrology or not, but renewal from the bottom up IS exactly the right message for the Democrats right now!! And it begins, surprisingly enough, with millionaires and billionaires becoming the heroes of this exciting next chapter by funding a new approach to politics, which involves Democratic Super PACs creating awesome jobs.
Q: Whoa whoa whoa! You want Super PACs to create awesome jobs paid for by millionaires and billionaires??? But Super PACs and the billionaires that fund them are evil!!!
A: Ummmmm. Are they? Are you sure?? Who told you that...?
Q: I don't know.
A: Ok. So the reality is that in 2024, millionaires and billionaires donated billions of dollars to Democratic Super PACs, which then used most of that money to run TV ads in swing states 24/7. But obviously that didn't work out. So what if, instead of spending quite so much of the money on TV ads, we used some of the money that millionaires and billionaires are happy to give away and we created awesome jobs that not only paid well, but also made politics fun?
Q: Ok, yes, spending money on good jobs would be way smarter than spending money on ineffective TV ads!! And to be honest, I'm actually one of those millionaires and billionaires and I'd love to get involved in doing politics differently, I just didn't know how until now!! So....how can I get involved?!
A: You see that red button in the top right of your screen that no matter how much you scroll it's still there?? Click it! And make a generous donation via ActBlue!! And then, obviously, we'll be in touch and we'll make sure you're invited to all the most exclusive retreats and other VIP events. (And yes, if you're reading this on a phone or an iPad or something there's no red button, there's just three horizontal lines, which is called a hamburger button — so click the hamburger button instead!!)
VIP
Contribute or raise $50,000+
Support a new approach to politics
Create unusually good jobs
Get Started:Q: Ok, so when you say millionaire, yes, technically when you count the value of my home and other assets I'm technically a millionaire — but I don't feel rich, Mike!! I feel like I'm just struggling to get by right now!!!
A: That's exactly the problem, isn't it? Right now, even the elites are failing to thrive in top-down structures. And over the last few years, the elites of the Democratic Party were so overworked just dealing with the day-to-day that nobody had the energy to step out of the broken system and plan for the future. But no more! Now is the time to get our shit together and start rebuilding the Democratic Party from the bottom up. Because it's not healthy for the country to have this pathetically weak of a Democratic Party!! So NOW would be a very good time for YOU to get involved!
Q: Ok. Thanks for the pep-talk, I guess. But what exactly do you suggest I DO now, exactly??
A: What if you quit your job and became a political fundraiser for the Democrats and raised money to fund a growing number of projects that make politics fun AND create awesome jobs that pay $50/hr!? Or you could team up with a professional fundraiser and raise $50,000+ and become a VIP and everyone will thank you but also not take you overly seriously because we can't be bowing to millionaires and billionaires, obviously. Or you could just come on a retreat for two weeks and then figure it out from there!! Or you could make a donation of any amount — but I've provided some suggested amounts. And so if you can't afford $500 (or more), just make a symbolic $1 donation. But if you CAN afford $500+, please understand that right now is the time that your money makes the biggest difference — because in politics early money is like yeast!
Fundraiser
Recruit VIPs
Work from anywhere and travel when needed
$5,000/month and 10% of what you raise
Get Started:Q: Ok, so honestly I'm almost out of time. This has been kind of a LOT in a LOT of ways....
A: Right. I mean, you do understand that basically everyone has a 15 second attention span on the internet right now, but anything that's new and innovative is going to take a lot more than 15 seconds to explain, so the only way to be successful on the internet right now is to speak with an, ummm, heightened tone. But what we really should be doing is to get off the internet, put our phones away, and engage with each other in a deeper way — which is obviously what Democratic Retreats is all about!! And that's exactly why I am not only begging but also pleading with you to do SOMETHING to help save America!!! What can you do??? You can donate right now!!! (Or, you can fill out the form below!!)
Q: Sure! I'll fill out the form! And I'll donate too! Can I do both?
A: Yes!! You are allowed to do both. And thank you! Thank you!!!!
