In his final State of the Union, President Barack Obama named the largest problem threatening our Republic – how big money is rapidly and aggressively seizing our government from “We the People.”
31.7 million Americans tuned in to his speech and heard him say, “We have to reduce the influence of money in our politics so that a handful of families and hidden interests can’t bankroll our elections.”
As a candidate for the presidency back in 2012, Obama expressed his concerns for this issue on a Reddit Q&A. But it was online, as a faceless, typed response that barely made the headlines. In 2016, Obama made this issue a central part of his State of the Union.
Now the ugly truth of how, or by whom, U.S. elections are funded is not necessarily unknown. In fact, most Americans, about 80 percent, including Republicans and Democrats, want to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. But in these past few years, Americans and their outrage over this bipartisan issue has grown into collective action throughout this country.
Over 65,000 people have joined the mass visual protest, the Stamp Stampede, and they’re rubber-stamping their cash with clever political messages such as “Stamp Money Out of Politics.” Huge marches are slated for this spring, organized by groups fighting for campaign reforms and voting rights – together we are growing a democracy movement.
This is activism at its best. This is people-power overcoming a tone-deaf Washington and directing the national conversation in order to demand change. Politicians and political candidates are feeling the pressure.
Even the president is addressing the nation on big money’s toxic reach, which is further evidence that our tactics are working. We are winning.
Unrestricted and coordinated money going into political campaigns, then paving the way for the ultra-rich to have special access to our legislators and policy-makers—this vicious cycle must be stopped. And we will not stop until we win.