Why is campaign finance such an issue?

[VaSteve]

I don't understand the importance of this whole thing with Tom DeLay. I haven't been following it close enough to really understand the whole thing, but I know it has something to do with corporate $ being used to finance the campaign.

Are we as a nation so dumb that we vote for a guy based on how much money his campaign spent? How good his Superbowl commerical is? How his NASCAR team is doing?

Oh, wait, I just answered my own question...

Seriously though, is that all this is about. I'm inside the beltway and don't understand or care enough to understand it. How does the rest of country compare....

[Tim Hancock]

I don't care too much about it, unless it is a demacrook that is getting busted!

[gaijindabe]

So you think: corporate money = evil?

Now we have the many hundred millionaire Corzine running away with the NJ govenors race and the multi-billionaire Bloomberg crushing the democrat (!) in the race for NYC mayor.

When all the campaign finance laws are enacted - and only the super rich can get elected - we will be sorry..

[Mulhollanddose]

Because a Republican is in office...and Democrats are out of power...When Republicans are in power they are too cowardly to investigate Democrats, and when Democrats are in power they are too corrupt to investigate themselves.

Campaign Finance Reform created more corruption than it "fixed", it was lobbied for by "big-left-media," put forward by a lefty and a RINO...Smoke and mirrors...Exception made for Delay (where no scandal exists).

[Jamie79SC]

Are we as a nation so dumb that we vote for a guy based on how much money his campaign spent?

Yes, so far every study I know of says that is just about right. Asking the question puts you ahead of most of the electorate in critical thought.

If you have enough money, you can buy the State Representative seats. Once you have the State Reps, you can gerrymander your way to buying your National Senate Seats.

Despite what the faithful of the right will tell you, this IS important: It is alleged that money from outside of Texas was (illegally) spent to elect Republican State Representatives so they could redistrict to assure the election of Republican Senators.

[tabs]

MONEY CORRUPTS...

[Bill Verburg]

My belief is that most of our "elected" officials are bought and paid for.

We get to vote but THEY DO NOT REPRESENT US

There are a few exceptions but they are rare and mostly vilified by the rest

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by Bill Verburg
We get to vote but THEY DO NOT REPRESENT US

That is why it is incumbent, in self-defense, to vote for smaller government and less taxes.

[Bill Verburg]

Did you vote for Ross?

Last I saw him he was at the helm of huge speedboat in Bermuda w/ a SEG on his face.

He tried to do the right thing

Maybe John McC. will have better luck though he was raped the last time.

[Jamie79SC]

Problem is, Ross was a loon. If only we had real choices.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally posted by Jamie79SC
Problem is, Ross was a loon. If only we had real choices.

He wasn't in the center but he did have some good ideas

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by Bill Verburg
Maybe John McC. will have better luck though he was raped the last time.

The only way McCainiac has a chance is if he joins the Democrat party...McCain is his own undoing, he raped himself by being absolutely off his rocker.

[Nathans_Dad]

I would seriously consider McCain for my vote if he were put up for President. I kinda like the fact he does step to the tune all the time. Plus if you have ever heard of his actions as a POW it is seriously impressive stuff. Talk about character and integrity.

[Nathans_Dad]

Whoops, make that DOESN'T step to the tune...

[dd74]

Originally posted by Mulhollanddose
McCain is his own undoing, he raped himself by being absolutely off his rocker.

Please! McCain's the only guy around who can save the Republican asses by netting in the fence sitters.

If you haven't figured it out, the extreme conservative christian right-wing dogma, a la Dr. Dobson, has run its course. Many Repubs don't like the course Bush has put this country on and most of his agenda is based in conservative right policies.

Be that as it is, what's worse (for you guys) is McCain doesn't want to run...

[Christien]

Originally posted by VaSteve

Are we as a nation so dumb that we vote for a guy based on how much money his campaign spent? How good his Superbowl commerical is? How his NASCAR team is doing?

In short, yes. But I don't think it's so much being dumb, or confined to the US. Advertising works. Period. That's been proven over and over, time and time again, in relation to anything from selling consumer products to ideologies. Therefore, the guy with the biggest advertising budget will win. Coke doesn't spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on advertising on the hopes that it might improve sales. They know for every dollar invested in advertising they'll make $1.20 back (or whatever the actual amount is). It's no different with political parties, and ALL parties know that.

It's long been my view that campaign financing by anybody, private, corporate, whatever, eats away at the very root of democracy.

[RoninLB]

Be a Dem judge in Brooklyn NYC for $20-50,000. Decide quickly before the game is over. There will be 10 open judicials open very soon.

Fund raising after the seat is acquired is ok and party supported.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Christien

It's long been my view that campaign financing by anybody, private, corporate, whatever, eats away at the very root of democracy.

I can only agree w/above if it's operation is as it's structured today.

Seems that if all contributions with the donor's name was posted on a web site by law there wouldn't be a prob?

[Christien]

No, I don't think you understood what I was saying. I'm saying that it's campaign financing which contributes to advertising which gets someone elected, rather than actually convincing your audience of your argument. Advertising can sell anything because it sells a complete package, rather than simply the product (most obvious example is selling sex with your beer). Campaign financing allows the party with the best advertising campaign to win, rather than the party with the best ideologies, strategies, plans, budgets, thoughts, ideas, etc. It *is* due in part to the fact that the average voter is uncritical of political advertisements, which in some cases can be attributed to lack of intelligence, but obviously there's more to it than that.

I think all political advertising should be illegal, and campaigning should be done solely through things like organized debates. And not slanderous trash-talking debates, but debates where candidates are forced to answer the questions asked, stay on topic, and not slander their opponents. Almost more like a trial

[MichiganMat]

Obviously corporate money was important enough to DeLay that he was willing break federal law and launder it through his organizations.

He's possibly the biggest money-raiser in the Congress.

From WaPo:
Using corporate funds for state election purposes has long been illegal in Texas, as it is in 17 other states. Earle's probe of the contributions began after 17 Republicans who received the committee's funds were elected, giving the party control of the Texas House for the first time in 130 years. One year later, following a road map that DeLay and his political aides drafted from Washington, the Texas House approved a sweeping reorganization of the state's congressional district map meant to favor Republicans.

Then, in 2004, five more Texas Republicans were elected to Congress, enlarging the Republican majority in the House .

The facts of one of the central transactions at issue in the case have never been in dispute -- the transfer in September 2002 to an arm of the Republican National Committee in Washington of $190,000 in corporate funds collected by the committee in Texas and the subsequent donation by the RNC arm of $190,000 to seven Texas House candidates on Oct. 4, 2002


and link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092800270_pf.html