I am a passionate advocate for the power of our vote. No, I can’t offset the votes of all of those who will vote for Romney in my state, but you won’t find anyone nationwide who casts her or his vote with more focused and committed intention. I care a great deal about the statement I make with my vote, and I will proudly cast it on Tuesday for our President, and for EVERY Democrat and Democratic cause.
I take every opportunity to broaden my vote with contributions of various sorts to other campaigns, most outside my state, and with work in support of our fellow Democrats, if it just means having their back on an issue. I almost never have a conversation with anyone in any medium without focus on political impact, and some of those ‘seeds’ will only come to fruition in future elections, or in future dealings with our fellow human beings.
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Tonight I want to talk a bit about financial campaign contributions. I have never committed more of my financial resources (such as they are) to a political campaign than I have this year. I care so much about the outcome of this election that I can hardly see straight, as I am sure you do as well. The Federal Election Commission caps individual contributions to a candidate to $2500 per election. I was wondering how much of a limitation that places on most of our citizens. For all I have tried to do this election, my contribution for ALL candidates falls woefully short of that number.
For the sake of curiosity, I wondered what percentage of Americans does come up with that amount. Opensecrets says it is ... not the ten percenters, not even the one percenters. Only 0.06 percent of our citizens make political contributions of that size. Well ... what about a more reasonable contribution? Say ... $200? The same Opensecrets page indicates that no more than 0.3 % make contributions of THAT size. And, yet, that 0.3% delivers two thirds of all money contributed to political campaigns!
A number of sites (including this one) are reporting that this year’s election will be the most expensive in the history of the world, at an estimated $6 billion. Lordy.
One individual ... a conservative, is said by Huffpo on Saturday to be chucking $54.44 million into the fray all by himself, a dickhead named Sheldon Adelson, widely covered here. (Opensecrets says ONLY $53,066,147! ONLY!) Of course, people like that still face the ultra-restrictive $2500 limit per candidate that (::voicedrippingwithverbalirony_on::) oppresses us so ominously (::voicedrippingwithverbalirony_off::) ... but of course, thanks to Citzens United they can spend whatever they like as long as it is basically independent of formal campaign advertising.
We have all seen these ads ad nauseum. They are not encumbered by the truth, they are not beholden to any ethical standard whatsoever, they merely seek to poison and overwhelm and cajole infinitely more votes than M. Adelson is permitted to cast on his own. He is betting $54 million and change that he can buy or sway enough votes to defeat President Obama. Paying a higher percentage of income taxes is unacceptable, but paying a few tens of millions to help determine a political election is well within his limited reason. He doesn’t trust the ‘invisible hand’ to elect the proper candidate, and if legitimate rapes only occur as God has willed it, God isn’t trusted when it comes to national elections - witness his immortal screwup in 2008. Ah, but God’s will is only in evidence when it smites THEIR political enemies. If they are the 'victims,' that is DESPITE God’s will, as you all know.
The next four days will be focused on winning the election we have fought for so hard for the past four plus years. After that, my hope is we can turn our focus to public financing of elections, and the end of corporate ‘citizenship.’ To leave Mr. Adelson paying a fair share of taxes, and with only the one vote, like the one we exercise on Tuesday. Not with $54 million worth of votes he can buy from citizens who don’t mind him holding their puppet strings.
As Robert Reich posted back in primary season:
Never before in the history of our Republic have so few spent so much to influence the votes of so many.
On to tonight’s comments! Graciously formatted once again by brillig! (Please wish her well in the comments! She is facing an unwelcome adversity, these days, and we’re hoping for a super speedy recovery for her!)
::brillig hobbles in, gets comfy with her fractured ankle resting on three pillows, thanks her entire Casa for getting stuff to and from her, and hugs her TC family. Then starts on the Tops::
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From blueoregon:
From Dema Broad's inaugural diary November Surprise? From UAW Pres. Bob King - UPDATE, mdmslle's comment expresses the same thought that's been in the back of my mind for awhile now, and I suspect I'm we're not alone.
From BlueJessamine:
Today in paradise50's New Day Diary, he asked "What sciences are you into?" Melanie in IA appears to have misunderstood the question! She gives the greatest answer ever. Sweet! #Love
From mdmslle:
MNGrandma reduces it to the essential ingredients, in politics!
From tonight's host:
Gaussian assumptions in polling? (If you're like me, it all comes down to that! ::verballironyalloveragain:: ) Denver11 explains.
dweb8231 scores big points with classic Charlie Pierce quotation on Peggy Noonan! ::wink::
From brillig:
Actually nominated by fladem, with an assist by legalchic, is this gem by KYDem. (Remember, if you think it's a Top Comment, send it in!)
Top Mojo for yesterday, October 31st, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic!
1) It's time to call the DOJ. by Carlo408 — 229
2) All because by newdem1960 — 198
3) Ironically by tomjones — 174
4) Well obviously this means by Bagger — 169
5) I'm betting we'll see a steady trend up... by pointsoflight — 163
6) That toon was all over facebook today by litho — 160
7) Please Proceed Governor! by ankae — 134
8) I think I can speak for a lot of us... by Miss Blue — 132
9) Fox is North Korean state television by beltane — 131
10) $5,000 worth of creamed corn.... by bear83 — 130
11) She went in. by annrose — 126
12) Talk about unintended consequences.... by marvyt — 122
13) I"m not surprised. You would think that they by Carlo408 — 121
14) But Romney was surging! by Sun dog — 119
15) I've tipped and rec'd your 'non diary' because by Olympia — 119
16) Kerrey is far better that Fischer ever would be by bear83 — 118
17) 2004 by mindgeek — 106
18) Can't they send Ryan by MadRuth — 105
19) I guess it never dawned on those assholes to just by wwjjd — 104
20) Which Is Why the Red Cross Told Him to Cut it Out by Gooserock — 102
21) If you have a problem with surging Mittmentum by chrississippi — 101
22) Wonderful move, both the help people by TomP — 99
23) Love your work. Keep it up. by Voodoo king — 97
24) Have they learned nothing by the dogs sockpuppet — 97
25) BREAKING... by Trix — 94
26) If it is any comfort by greblos — 92
27) Mitt's a putz, for sure. by highfive — 91
28) With only a week to go... by TX Freethinker — 91
29) Somee by Scarce — 89
30) His campaign spent $5K by Eddie L — 89
31) I think the word we're looking for here is... by Donkey Underpants — 89
Top Pictures for yesterday, October 31st. Click any image to be taken to the full comment. Thank you
jotter for the image magic!