I have trouble giving money to politicians, especially ones at the Federal level.
My problem is that many of these guys are supported by corporations whose interest in the campaigns are purely to ensure that the guy who will further their interests gets elected.
I keep hearing about how the campaign with the most money usually wins. Is that really what it's come down to? If you can get more money and spend more money than your candidate, you get the vote?
I'd like a return to a simpler time, and a simpler process. If you want to run for office, you do it on your dime. There are no contributions, and there is no need for elaborate campaigns.
Campaigning can start 1 month before the elections, and newspapers, radio and TV can give all candidates an equals time segment to explain their views.
In the electronic age we live in, perhaps each candidate could submit a brief explanation of their platform and have it published online. Voting places could have all relevant candidates information available the week before voting and on voting day, and then people can read and cast a deciding vote.
Of course none of this will happen, because the politicians love their money, and the corporations love the power it allows them to wield.
I suspect campaigns in the US spend more money than any other country on earth, and I would suspect that the population cares less about the process than anywhere else on earth as well. Perhaps there is a correlation.
"I keep hearing about how the campaign with the most money usually wins. Is that really what it's come down to?"
ReplyDeleteYes.
"If you can get more money and spend more money than your candidate, you get the vote?"
Yes.
It's not any better at the local level, either. You know how when you have a problem with the city, you are supposed to call your city councilperson or representative or whatever? Well, Mr. Councilperson has a list of every household in his district listing how many eligible voters are in that household and whether or not they voted, going back years. This is how he decides whether or not to help you with your problem, or to tell you his hands are tied because of that other councilperson over there.
Of course, he also has a list of donors, and he can find out exactly how much they gave to him and others over several years. If you're on THAT list, he's already working on your problem; he found out about it during one of his friendly phone calls to give you comp tickets to the event at the local arena, or a box of free fireworks from the fireworks vendors.
In other news, saw Prop 8 was back in the news in your neck of the woods. Was the turnaround expected?
Yeah, I think the court decision was expected, but from what I've heard the defense was pretty lame... It was the usual, "we love gay people, but it's morally wrong" garbage.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few good excerpts from the decision that I think I might post here next week. Here is one...
"Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license."
I think it's still got a couple of rounds of appeals and what not, but hopefully it eventually gets shut down for good.
I can only imagine the blank stare of people who would read an article about Proposition 8 that made the argument of "Why are you waiting for the approval of the government? It's none of their business."
ReplyDeleteOne example: http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/62992.html