This is not a new story. It is on the order of a constant refrain as election results trail in, one cycle after another. Our campaign finance system is irretrievably broken. There is no other conclusion to reach. It doesn't matter what party you claim or whether you are an independent. We cannot have a reasonable public discourse in this country, because reason is drowned by money and the money points in one direction: short-term profit. This behavior is championed as virtue. It is sanctioned by the US Supreme Court.
Of yesterday's primary elections in Florida, Herald writer Fred Grimm proposes: "... never has so much vitriol been expended for so few votes. It was as if the campaign strategy was to beat the electorate senseless by spending record amounts of money on uncivil messages. Political strategists must know that the effect would be to depress the turnout to that meager, pathetic trickle of voters who showed up Tuesday. The hope must have been that those few who bothered to cast a ballot hated the other guy more than yours. You might get yourself a winner running this kind of cynical campaign, but it only reinforces the distrust of government that has made us a nearly ungovernable, perpetually angry rabble." True, and nothing new.
The permanent incumbency that benefits from a rigged system isn't budged by term limits. Their faces may change, but the content does not. The two main political parties and their messages have merged into pale reflections of each other, framed by sound bites delivered on TV. We are not protecting democracy with these results. We are destroying it.
9 comments:
Rick Scott paid $84 per vote in yesterday's Election...
I would not be surprised!
so very sad to see that money raised and used for dirty campaigning, still win votes.
Have you checked out Bud Chiles for Governor? He has a big announcement coming tomorrow about cmapaign finance reform. HE's limiting his campaign contributions to $250 per person and isn't taking money from PAC's etc. "walkwithbud.com"
DARIO MORENO & STEVE MARIN, BOTH made a killing selling their so-called expertise on these elections. Candidates get desperate and want polls to determine where they stand. I believe that both of these guys are useless, and charge an arm and a leg, to give false numbers and hope to the candidates that are dumb enough to contract their useless services.
I agree. Both of these are scumbags... trying to be the brains, but are not. They are only out for the candidates's money. A word to future candidates.... stay away from these guys!! They are combing through your contributions and if it is significant, they will approach you... they just want your MONEY!! They suck!!
If you support free speech, especially free political speech, then its difficult to restrict money in campaigns. There is a direct correlation between how much a candidate spends and how well he or she gets their message out to the voters. For example, would it be OK to restrict Alex Sink to spend only $1000 per day to run her statewide campaign? How could she effectively contact with the voters? Even if you don't like the message, you are restricting free speech. Democracy can get ugly, but exposing candidate's flaws is part of the process. Maybe better candidates will run as a result.
Moreno and Marin are excellent consultants. True, Marin can be a little sleazy, but they both know their business. That's why they're in such demand and can charge whatever they want for their services.
However, no matter how brilliant your consultant is, if the candidate is flawed, no amount of $$$, advice and strategy can help you.
I'll give you an example. I believe that Piedra and Taddeo are fine, productive citizens but in a Commission District that is predominantly Anglo, are we seriously surprised that an O b d u l i o P i e d r a or a T a d d e o lost in THIS district.
I'm just being realistic.
all candidates have flaws... they are HUMAN !!! The older they are, the more life experience they have and will be critizised for.
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