Campaign spending

[mrsleeve]

Hallen again I do agree with you. Some how you always cut through all the BS and get to the very heart of the issue and hit on the head

[rwh11385]

Maybe votes for politicians shouldn't be bought with glossy advertising?

If the American people are intelligent enough to support policies they understand the impact of, have logic, and vote for people who align with their desires instead of who makes them feel good... we should be fine.



Oh, wait... we're fucked.

[CorvallisBMW]

Maybe votes for politicians shouldn't be bought with glossy advertising?

If the American people are intelligent enough to support policies they understand the impact of, have logic, and vote for people who align with their desires instead of who makes them feel good... we should be fine.



Oh, wait... we're fucked.

Exactly.

I see from your sig that it's snowing in hell, must be because we agreed on something :rofl:

[Victell]

If you want it to be fair, then the only money allowed to be used for any campaign should come from equal accounts that come from tax dollars only. That's it. Private money, even your own, should be barred.

This seems like a big, obvious no-brainer, but here we are.

[joshh]

Public funded system only.
Just like Obama challenged McCain to...then went back on his own challenge...lol.

[z31maniac]

Public funded system only.
Just like Obama challenged McCain to...then went back on his own challenge...lol.

Yup, he realized how much union funded propaganda the Dems will need over the next 10 months.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Shit. I know shit's bad right now, with all that starving bullshit, and the dust storms, and we are running out of french fries and burrito coverings. But I got a solution...

Now I understand everyone's shit's emotional right now. But I've got a 3 point plan that's going to fix EVERYTHING.

[z31maniac]

Oh the suspense!

[KenC]

Maybe votes for politicians shouldn't be bought with glossy advertising?

If the American people are intelligent enough to support policies they understand the impact of, have logic, and vote for people who align with their desires instead of who makes them feel good... we should be fine.



Oh, wait... we're fucked.

Exactly. Time and time again, the candidate with more money to spend on advertising wins the election. To state that the citizens just need to make an educated decision in the voting booth is extremely naive.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Do you guys think I'm crazy for thinking that this kind of stuff could bring us a new political party?

I know none of remember when the Whigs went down, but it's only a matter of time till the tides change. Social revolt, physical or via standpoints could really change things and bring someone with something new to bring to the party.

[mar1t1me]

Back in 1906, an author named David Graham Phillips wrote a series of articles entitled "The Treason of the Senate" in which he accused both main parties, the Democrats and Republicans, of joining together to "advance the industrial and financial interests of the wealthy classes of the country". Phillips revealed that politicians were receiving huge payments from large corporations to argue their case in the Senate.

One passage reads:

Treason is a strong word, but not too strong, rather too weak, to characterize the situation which the Senate is the eager, resourceful, indefatigable agent of interests as hostile to the American people as any invading army could be, and vastly more dangerous: interests that manipulate the prosperity produced by all, so that it heaps up riches for the few; interests whose growth and power can only mean the degradation of the people, of the educated into sycophants, of the masses toward serfdom.

That was written over 100 years ago. And now we're going to let it happen again.


BTW, this is worth a watch as it talks about why our health care reform is not going to be anything but an annuity for Big Health.

[quickervicar]

I have mixed feelings on this ruling (keep in mind that I am partner in an S-Corp)

-corporations are not living, breathing beings--though they are comprised entirely of these beings

-I see potential for Big Business (oil, healthcare, automakers, telecom, etc.) to have an even greater role in determining who we get to vote for

-I see potential for Big Union (UAW, NEA/AFT, SEIU, Teamsters, etc.) to have an even greater role in determining who we get to vote for

-I see potential for very small businesses (like my own) to now have the opportunity to help grassroots candidates that support a healthier business environment & tax laws

At this point I will just add that things had better change in a big way in the next few years, otherwise small business as we know it will pretty much disappear from this country. (and remember what I said they are made of?)

[jeff_b]

Although the decision is unnerving, I don't think it's going to change the way corporations or business backs a candidate. For example, if a candidate would be so inclined to run a so-called "grass roots" campaign, said candidate may convince financial backers to not advertise support. Take the Scott Brown campaign. The RNC covertly gave him ~$500K 6 months ago, but not advertising their support allowed him to appear not "in lockstep" with the Washington GOP. I think it will boil down to the candidate, the particular race, etc. Looking at it as a typical American voter, (not interested until the tv ads tell me who to pick), the proclamation of any business or union for a candidate may have equally positive/negative effects on the vote. Just my .02.

[jeff_b]

Not to beat a dead horse, but campaign spending for the last general election and congressional elections was over $5B, 83% of that was spent by lawyers, primarily concerned with passage of tort reform. Tort reform is the single most important thing not in the health care bill, coincidence?