The Political Money Game

We, as part of the 99%, don't really stand a chance in terms of supporting a candidate or even running for political office ourselves since the U. S. Supreme Court made Citizens United decision legal.  Two years ago the Roberts Supreme Court issued its most controversial ruling to date.  Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, overturned long-standing campaign finance laws restricting corporate political expenditures.  The court reasoning that the political speech of corporations was as important to the marketplace of ideas as the voices of human citizens.    The opinion allowed groups to raise and spend unlimited amounts supporting or opposing candidates.  President Obama criticized the court while delivering his 2010 State of the Union address.  Who can forget Justice Alito shaking his head in denial.   As the rise of the super PACs has already shown in the current Republican primaries, the coming presidential election will be swamped with cash, and our representative democracy will not be better for it.  The transparency that has been so ballyhooed doesn't happen until after the election.  How will you feel when you find out the opposing candidate was backed by a corporation bent on exporting their production to some other country, resulting in many more jobs.  Suppose it is some group of corporations devoted to developing franchises to replace our public schools, civic leadership or even public service employees.  Don't you need to know before you vote?  Or, it would be like sticking your hand in a bag blindly and pulling out your reward for a hard days work.  


Of course, this doesn't take away the blatant dishonesty the permeates the system.  Look at the agendas of Scott Walker in Wisconsin and Mitch Daniels in Indiana who now support laws that take away collective bargaining and even the right to belong to unions.  Stances that were not even mentioned in their platforms as they both ran for governor of their respective states in 2010.  As a prime example of big money influencing politics, research shows that super PACs backed by the notoriously wealthy, Kansas based  Koch brothers lead the way in attempting to control the actions of our elected officials.  In June 2011, near Aspen, Colorado, the billionaire industrialists David and Charles Koch welcomed hundreds of wealthy guests and legislators to the latest of the secret fundraising and strategy seminars they host twice a year.  Political leaders included in the June  strategy meetings (entitled “Understanding and Addressing Threats to American Enterprise and Prosperity”) were governors Rick Scott, Florida, John Kasich, Ohio,  and Bob McDonnell, Virginia.  Rick Perry, Governor of Texas addressed the group on Sunday.   “The purpose of this conference is to develop support for the kind of free-market policies and initiatives that can get our country back on the path to economic prosperity and sustained job creation,” a spokeswoman for Koch Industries told The Denver Post. 

Billionaire industrialist Charles Koch of Koch Industries

Koch Industries is the second largest privately owned company in the United States, and earned $100 billion in 2009.  They have donated more than $100 million to conservative GOP causes over the past three decades, according to a New Yorker profile. The pair have recently donated to tea party groups and organizations opposed to President Obama.  Now, I call that big money.  I call that a threat to fairness and to a true representative Democracy.

Can you imagine the people behind the $16 Million dollars spent by Mitt Romney in bombarding the people of Florida prior to the 2012 Republican Primary?  The airwaves were swamped 24/7 with negative campaign ads against Newt Gingrich.  Rational people in Florida were appalled if not actually repulsed by these practices.  Nonetheless, the less astute populace went for it!  Big money won!

I have nothing against wealthy people running and winning political office.   I do have a problem with people running for office in order to become a member of the 1% themselves, and thereafter doing only what the lobbyist tell them to, as well as everything they can to perpetuate that new found wealth.  Forget what is best for their constituents.  In our system today, it really appears that the citizens back home in their districts are the last things on their minds.  Do they even hear us?  Do nationwide polls mean nothing?  Or, do they just hear the rustle and clinking of money?


If you think you have problems now, just wait until corporations and millionaires fully usurp your voting power and your vote!  People count more than money.  Keep your political power - vote!