NOM: Even Though We’re Losing Badly, Please Give Us Money So We Can Pretend To Influence SCOTUS

by David Badash on May 1, 2013

NOM President Brian Brown today sent a demoralized fundraising email begging for money, telling his anti-gay supporters to chin up, and claiming he is “optimistic” the Supreme Court will rule against gay people.

The National Organization For Marriage (NOM) president again pointed to their famous, anonymous, “generous benefactor” in his plea:

Dear Marriage Supporter,
Last week, the Rhode Island state legislature voted to redefine marriage. And the Delaware legislature has a similar vote pending in their state Senate.
This isn’t good news…and the media loves to trumpet it far and wide.
But I’m writing to you today, not to discourage, but to remind you that we are standing on the verge of a tremendous victory for marriage in America! And how we respond in this moment may shape marriage for decades to come.
In the next eight weeks — and perhaps even sooner — the Supreme Court will issue its rulings in the Prop 8 and DOMA cases… and we are poised to win our greatest victory for marriage ever!
Click here to make an immediate donation to NOM to help us give marriage the defense it both needs and deserves at this critical juncture! [link removed]
Thanks to a generous benefactor, every dollar you give will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000.
There has never been a better time to give—your gift of $50 will instantly become $100; $100 will become $200; and $500 will become an incredible $1,000 in defense of marriage!
Same-sex marriage activists brought these cases to the Supreme Court for a single purpose: to redefine marriage for the entire country!
Typically, the Supreme Court doesn’t quickly revisit fundamental legal issues once they have ruled on them. That is why NOM is doing everything we can to demonstrate—right now, while the Supreme Court is deliberating on these cases—that the American people stand for marriage! 
[emphasis added]

In fact, aside from filing inaccurate amicus briefs, NOM has zero influence over the Supreme Court, and sending them money is not going to change or even sway the Court’s decision.
Amusingly, Brown adds:

A victory before the Supreme Court will allow us to engage this issue over the long term by working with churches, young people, ethnic groups and others to show the importance of preserving marriage for society, for future generations and, especially, for children.

The fact, also, is that as long as the National Organization For Marriage can convince a few rich Americans that they will “protect marriage” from gay people, Brian Brown will have a job — despite his embarrassing batting average.
And remember, NOM’s donor list is tiny.
In an article at The Advocate, “Dirty Money,” E.J. Graff noted:

Each year, according to NOM’s tax filings, two or three donors give NOM between $1 million and $3.5 million apiece; another two or three give between $100,000 and $750,000; and 10 or so others give between $5,000 and $95,000. In 2009 the top five donors made up three fourths of NOM’s budget; in 2010 the top two donors gave two thirds of the year’s total donations; and in 2011 the top two donors gave three fourths of NOM’s total income. But those funders’ identities are a mystery. Their names are redacted on NOM’s federal tax returns. Under federal campaign laws, none of those names have to be disclosed.