In California, Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman spent $70 million of her own money to win her primary. In the same state, Republican Carly Fiorina is spending millions of her own money to try to win the senate seat currently held by Barbara Boxer.
In Connecticut, Republican Linda McMahon spent $15 million of her own money to win the Republican senate primary and is likely to spend millions more before the November election.
In Florida, Republican Rick Scott spent $50 million of his own money to win the Republican nomination for governor. In Wisconsin Republican political newcomer Ron Johnson is spending millions of his own money in his bid to unseat Democratic Senator Russ Feingold.
In Delaware, Republican Christine O'Donnell, a woman with no credentials beyond her very firm views on masturbation, was swept to the Republican senate nomination over Mike Castle, a well-respected and well-known politician, because a Tea Party group based in California funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into her campaign.
Karl Rove is raising and spending millions from business and industry to help Republican candidates win congressional races all across the country.
What is all this money buying? Primarily, advertising. Mostly on television.
Advertising is about selling a product. Advertisers use any means available to promote and to sell their product. Successful advertising is largely based on manipulating people through the skillful use of words and images that play on our emotions.
The total commercialization of the American political system now extends to the candidates themselves. Political candidates, particularly those on the right, are now essentially just another product big business is trying to sell to us on TV - just like laundry detergent or dog food.
Almost none of the new Republican candidates - neither those who are spending their own money or those who are being showered with cash from outside interests - have any experience in or knowledge of government. In fact, in most cases their most impressive features are the breadth of their ignorance and the absurdity of their views. None of them are running for office on the power of their ideas or because they have innovative solutions to the nation's problems.
Instead, they are being packaged and sold by a giant political PR industry whose sole purpose is to get them elected, regardless of the consequences to the nation - with the implicit understanding that once they are in office they will devote themselves to helping the monied interests who paid to get them there.
The people who say we need to "take back our country" from out-of-touch "elites" are the same ones taking campaign cash from the most elite of the elite; from millionaires and billionaires who know nothing and care nothing about ordinary working people.
The same people who are running for office as "outsiders" are hiring the most savvy political insiders to shape and hone their "message."
The candidates who claim they are running for office because Washington is broken are being funded, supported and scripted by those who broke it in the first place and are doing all they can to keep it broken. These candidates claim they want to "fix" Washington, yet they are willing to irreparably damage the political system in the process.
The individuals and political groups who are spending so lavishly to sell their candidates have only one thing in mind - their own financial interest. They wouldn't be spending their money otherwise. They expect a return on their investment. Good business is all about getting value for your money.
And like all big business in America, the return from this investment - that is, the profits from this new commercial venture known as "politics," - will increasingly accrue to a small, select group of very wealthy, very powerful people.
Given these conditions, it is becoming less and less plausible to refer to the United States as a democracy.
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