Campaigns And Outside Interests

Discussion in 'Politics & Government' started by Bobby Cole, Apr 21, 2017.

  1. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    For some reason, I'm allowing something to get under my skin in regard to political campaigns and outside contributions.
    The senate race in W. Virginia, for example, has Manchin (D) presently receiving a few hundred thousand dollars but only 3% of it coming from the good residents of his state. His counterpart, Ossoff (D) is in the runoff in Georgia, and has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from outside interests as well.

    To me, whether Republican, Democrat, Socialist, Communist or the Dr. Seuss party, if a person cannot vote in a particular state's elections, a contribution should be illegal plain and simple.
    If I was a resident of a state and found a politician receiving out of state contributions, the first thought in my somewhat suspicious brain would be that the politician would become obliged to reward those same out of state contributors and not pay enough attention to the instate problems.

    Yes, I realize that out of state and even out of country money is political party oriented but the basics still remain that it is the state's interests, and NOT the political party, which should be epitomized in the thoughts of every citizen of a state.

    Outside contributions just do not pass the sniff test and makes my skin itch to boot.
     
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    Last edited: Apr 21, 2017
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  2. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    I agree and just as an aside...next election I'm voting the Dr. Suess party. :)
     
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  3. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    I agree I agree said the pubic to uncle sam, politics is like spam but I'd rather have green eggs and ham.
     
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  4. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    Very good, Dr. Cole! :)
     
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  5. Martin Alonzo

    Martin Alonzo Supreme Member
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    Bobby Cole you are so right the people who vote are the only people who should be backing him because they are the only one's benefiting from his election. If the money is coming from some where else that means they want the benefits
     
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  6. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    I am officially retired from politics and voting. From now on I will spend my time on things that really matter to me and that I can make a difference in. ;) Like reading Dr. Seuss books to my grandkids. :)
     
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  7. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    We have a similar problem in Maine, particularly having to do with our referendum system. Maine has a law that allows citizens to overrule the legislature by referendum. As long as a specified number of signatures can be collected, a referendum will be placed on the ballot as a question, asking voters whether they support it or not.

    If the majority of voters support the question, the legislature is directed to turn it into a law.

    It's not quite as clean as it seems, however. For one thing, the Secretary of State words the question, so if it's something that the state wants passed, then it will be worded in such a way as to emphasize the positive and ignore the costs, and the opposite when it's something they want to fail.

    Another problem is that voters are making their decision on the basis of one short paragraph of description, so the side with the deepest advertising pockets usually wins. In the last election, voters passed rank-choice voting, which will ensure that only an establishment candidate can win an election at the state level. Briefly, voters will be asked for their first choice and second choice on a candidate, and in the event that no candidate gets a majority of the votes, if someone's second choice option has a majority, that candidate wins the election. So all the establishment has to do is make sure there are a lot of people running for a particular office, to split opposition votes.

    Anyhow, it's a very bad idea but it was heavily funded by out-of-state PACs, and there was no opposition advertising, so it passed.

    The same occurs with money items. There is a saying that Maine voters have never seen a tax question they didn't like. That's because the question, as worded on the ballot, never gives the cost of the proposal, and those who are in favor of higher taxes have the advertising funding, while those who are not don't. So when it's unpopular for the legislature to impose a new tax, or to raise a tax, it gets brought up as a citizen's referendum by some non-profit, and it passes.

    A citizen's referendum is how we got civil unions, and then gay marriage, with huge out-of-state funding. They failed the first couple of times, but the pro gay marriage lobbies had endless pockets, and people got tired of fighting it during every single election.

    So far, we've managed to fight back the various forms of gun control questions that come up in every election, with only token in-state support.
     
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    Last edited: Apr 21, 2017
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  8. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Bbbbbbbut.......While politicians have a paying job, we, Joe and Sally public have a job as well for which there is no pay and no retirement. Someone must roll the guillotine into place, another to sharpen the blade, others take turns pulling the blade rope and the knife's release while still others hold the basket for the falling heads. And let's not forget the popcorn venders! Ya gotta have plenty of popcorn venders!

    Uh...we don't use guillotines any longer? Darn, guess we'll have to go for the firing squads. No firing squads for politicians? double darn! Hang em all..........
     
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  9. Martin Alonzo

    Martin Alonzo Supreme Member
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    When you see someone killed on the highway you can tell if it was a politician by how long the skid mark are or if there is none it was a politician
     
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