The 1960 campaign for the Democratic nomination to the presidency was marked by competition between fellow Senators Hubert Humphrey and John F. The machine has what the Fat Cat wants, and the Fat Cat has what the machine must have, to wit, money They relieve the pressure all along the line, lighten the load, make life brighter and better for the busy machine workers.

There are such men in all the States, and they are as welcome to the organization as the flowers in May. Kent wrote:Ī Fat Cat is a man of large means and slight political experience who, having reached middle age, and success in business, and finding no further thrill, sense or satisfaction in the mere piling up of more millions, develops a yearning for some sort of public honor, and is willing to pay for it. The term's coinage for political purposes has been attributed to Frank Kent, a writer for The Baltimore Sun whose essay 'Fat Cats and Free Rides' appeared in the American Mercury, a magazine of commentary run by H. The word was first used in the 1920s in the United States to describe rich political donors. History 1917 caricature of 'Organized Big Business Interests' In the United Kingdom, it is also used to refer to executives whose pay is deemed by others to be excessive.

It is also commonly used to describe a rich, powerful and greedy person who, due to ownership of large amounts of capital, is able to 'live easy' off the work of others. The New York Times has described fat cats as symbols of 'a deeply corrupt campaign finance system riddled with loopholes', with Americans seeing them as recipients of the 'perks of power', but able to 'buy access, influence policy and even veto appointments'. ( January 2016) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)įat cat is a political term originally describing a rich political donor, also called an angel or big-money man. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject.

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