We each receive dozens of requests for political donations in our emails every week. To me they indicate a serious, worsening, possibly fatal, flaw in our legal system. The email sample below is from Nancy Pelosi, whom I generally support. She is trapped in the same morass as every other legislator and voter. To put it bluntly, 30 years ago I was asked for my vote; today, I am only asked for my money. Elections are won largely by the side that buys the most advertising (the character of that advertising is another matter entirely).
"Andrew, I’ll be straight with you:
- I watched Donald Trump raise $124 MILLION to take down our Majorities.
- I watched Kevin McCarthy raise another $31 MILLION to go after my vulnerable Democrats.
- I watched election-denying Republicans like Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene raise MILLIONS more.
It’s unconscionable, Andrew. And now, I’m going to watch their vicious attacks BACKFIRE.
Andrew, here’s the plan: For just 14 more hours, I’m giving grassroots Democrats one more opportunity to become a 2022 Democratic Member by chipping in $8. If 10,000 more Democrats join me before midnight, I’ll have the resources to HOLD the House, HOLD the Senate, and ensure Trump and his loyal allies never hold an OUNCE of power again. Can I count on you?"
Of course, I receive desperate pleas for donations from republicans too. The RNCs latest propaganda was thinly disguised as an unbiased poll, but filled with mischaracterizations and alternate truth. For example:
"Question 4: Do you approve or disapprove of the Democrats' agenda to raise taxes, drastically increase Federal spending, keep our borders open to all illegal immigrants, decrease military spending, defund police, push dangerous abortion policies, pack the Supreme Court, make Washington DC a state, and abolish the Electoral College?"
The ascendance of money over votes is a direct threat to democracy, especially after the egregious Citizens United decision. How can my paltry donation, or the $80,000 Ms Pelosi hopes for in her email, counter the $hundreds of millions that wealthy anti-democracy advocates like Koch regularly contribute?
Regardless of affiliations, politicians are beholden to the forces that keep them in office. Moreover, issues no longer matter to many voters. In 2020 the Republicans didn't even bother to offer a platform, plans or promises. Likewise, your educated vote doesn't matter if a dozen uneducated votes can be won with repeated lies (Goebbels was right about that).
Oil and gas companies give $millions to conservative candidates and the GOP, at no cost to themselves. Their political donations are a small fraction of the $20 billion they receive in annual subsidies (why??). Even as temperatures began to quickly rise due to CO2 emissions, thanks to the Big Oil influence alternate energy got only a fraction of $1 billion in annual subsidies for many precious years. [This week part of $379 billion will be directed at curbing climate change, thank God for the promise of progress.]
Imagine leaders beholden to the people, not monied interests. Imagine what our leaders could do if fundraising were not their most important activity.
We should revive democracy, starting with the president and vice-president. Imagine the good that could be done with the $2 billion expected to be exceeded on the 2024 presidential election. Instead, Congress can enact legislation to undo the harm of Citizens United, limit individual campaign contributions, underwrite a set round of televised debates, etc. to democratize the entire election process.
Elections are too important with democracy under attack, so I donate, but as you may have already guessed, I'm not happy about it. I don't believe I can afford to not support Democrats and democracy, but the price rises with each election, and favors the deepest pockets, at the expense of democratic representation.