Did Sanctions on Russia help defeat the Democrats in 2014?

[MattSh]

My Note: Purists might argue that it was corporate interests that defeated the Democrats, not Russian sanctions. Be that as it may, sanctions on Russia pissed off some important business interests in the USA, and they turned their support elsewhere in 2014.


.....

For example, “...in September 2014, ExxonMobil and Russia's Rosneft made a major discovery of huge oil and natural-gas reserves after drilling a well in the Kara Sea. However, in complying with the second round of sanctions enacted a few days before the discovery, Exxon put the $700 million project on hold and...pulled out of the Russian Arctic.” Now Russia is offering China and other Asian companies a partnership in developing Siberia and the Arctic, replacing Exxon and its peers.

How did that sit with Exxon, a company about which President Bush, the younger, once said, “Nobody tells those guys what to do.” Media reports have it that Exxon’s CEO Tillerson, in a private meeting with the President, warned Obama that if the U.S. adopted economic sanctions that threatened its business in Russia, his company and its allies would work to defeat Democrats in the 2014 Congressional bi-elections.

.....

During the bi-election, business contributions went overwhelmingly to Republicans (75%), with energy company support for Republicans at 87%. Senator McConnell was the top beneficiary, receiving $600,000 in contributions from oil and energy companies.

Compare that to the last presidential election, only one year before, where business contributions were closer to 50/50, with Republicans holding only a slight edge . The bi-election results, a 50% swing to Republicans in business contributions, were a major factor in one of the Democrats worst defeats.

Complete story at - http://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Russian-Sanctions-Might-Be-Obamas-Greatest-Blunder.html

[geek tragedy]

1. Lol, no. Republicans wanted more sanctions.

Koch brothers spent as they always do.

[NuclearDem]

2. No.

[FSogol]

3. LOL, keep trying.

[jeff47]

4. LOL. Exxon was gonna vote for Democrats. (nt)

[Agnosticsherbet]

5. It only impacted the Votes of Democrats who were citizens of Russia.

And they can not vote here anyway.

What defeated Democrats was a failure of the important constituencies of minorities, the young, and poor who do not vote in midterm of special elections and the success of older white voters who turned out and voted for Republicans.

[Demeter]

6. IF one follows the money, and remembers that Koch Bros are into Oil

it is entirely plausible that a big financial funding shift (on top of all the little financial screwings of the voting public) contributed to the Democratic defeat.

We just don't have solid evidence (other than the threat), yet.