|
Candid thought on campaign finance...
In 1964, the Beatles famously stormed America with the vocal declaration “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Our politicians, famously funded by special interests purchasing voter love, have worked to prove them wrong ever since.
That half our Washington representatives reside in that infamous one percent of America’s richest people comes as no surprise. Wall Street’s protestors are sharing their love on the wrong lawns. Those who make laws have far greater opportunity to seduce our culture than those who make things.
They’re also confused about Republicans as the assumed party of the rich. If that’s so, why do Democrats win wealthy communities and contributors giving over $10,000 by a ratio of two or three to one? Why have corporate contributions to Democrats exceeded those to Republicans three years running? Ninety-eight percent of the hedge fund managers busily milking America take time out to share their love with – you guessed it – Democrats.
In truth both parties demonstrate love for contributors over constituents. DC reps consistently receive more contributions from corporations than individuals and that love isn’t free. Though neither confess the arrangement, money buys access and affinity from politicians just like it does prostitutes.
Political special interest groups routinely purchase their way around our common interests – swapping a vision formerly known as the “American Dream” for an ersatz “American Deal.” It works like a theme park express pass. Politicians are given money to buy voter love so that they, in turn, can nurture their benefactors to the front of the line.
Solutions center on recognizing political prostitution as a hollow form of love and the “Buy America Plan” as team sport blending the vanities of politicians, special interests, and voters alike. In this kind of love-fest, and we’re close, a society’s takers eventually overwhelm it’s makers.
Public campaign financing sounds good, but puts government in charge of itself. We already know how well that works. The low hanging fruit for political reform has a corporate, PAC, or union logo attached. If these groups enjoy Constitutional opportunity as individuals, they should bear the matching responsibility of being taxed as individuals.
Campaign funding should be limited to personal contributions, but there’s no potent replacement for engaged voters. As long as our love can be bought with money, charm, and the promise of something for nothing, America’s future remains at risk. Principled leadership and the American Dream, like real love, must be earned, never purchased…
(400 words) Carl Mumpower is a practicing psychologist and a former U.S. congressional candidate and Asheville city council member. Contact him at drmumpower@thecandidconservative.com
The temporary Asheville Citizen-Times link to this editorial has expired...
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
