What is Wrong With This Campaign Finance Picture?

1. 83

   My Esotericposted 9 years ago

   By this time in 2012 this much was spent:
   
   Ds - $168 million
   Rs - $146 million
   Super PACs aligned with Ds or Rs - $88 million
   
   Now, in 2016, this much has been spent:
   
   Ds - $312 million
   Rs - $312 million
   Super PACS aligned with Ds or Rs - $407 million!!!! (Most by, according to Jane Meyer's "Dark Money" is from the Koch Integrated Donor Network and most in not tied to a particular donor)
   
   
   THANK YOU VERY MUCH CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS AND JUSTICES THOMAS, ALITO, and SCALIA, as well as A SPECIAL THANKS TO SWING VOTE JUSTICE KENNEDY who thought that the Internet would expose who is behind the Dark Money.
   
   (NOTE - the Koch Integrated Donor Network; which includes "weaponized" foundations, think tanks owned/controlled by the donors, money-laundering post office boxes which front for tax deductible organization designed to funnel donor money but hide the paper trail, paid for university courses and chairs like those at George Mason, and the front line organizations like the "Judicial Crisis Network" which is currently putting up a million dollar ad buys to spread obvious lies about Justice Merrick Garland, nominated to fill Justice Scalia's vacancy.)

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   1. 0

      Old Poolmanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Everything is wrong with this campaign finance picture.  It was never intended for the candidate with the most gold to win every election.
      
      When I think of all the useful purposes these many millions of dollars could have been used for it just about makes me sick.
      
      I would be in full favor of outlawing campaign contributions completely, giving each candidate the exact same amount of taxpayer money and telling them to spend it wisely.  Any money that was not spent would be returned to the Feds, and every candidate would be required to turn in a full accounting on where they spent their money.  No more just putting the money in their own pockets.
      
      Anyone who thinks these campaign contributions don't come with strings attached is nuts.

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   2. 72

      rhamsonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The Citizens United ruling was and is all about money running everything we do. We are morally destitute to hear anything else. I hear so many complain about Congress and their longevity to the process's detriment but around election time we hear the same old story from the electorate. My congressman does a good job for me but it is the others that are the bad apples. Why? Because we don't want to miss out on any single goody we can get.
      
      Term limits and campaign finance legislation is our only hope to get a handle on the out of control mess we have. Campaign financing should come from the government and no place else. Candidates would need to meet certain criteria to qualify for larger amounts based on their success. Signatures on petitions might be a good start.

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