The Real Truth About Elections

Ah, the latest news is in from Wisconsin, and after a piling on of money and pressure, the Republicans carried 4 out of the 6 recalls that they were facing.  They lost 2; one of those had to do with the Republican having left his wife for a 25 year old staffer.

So why am I interested in this?  Well a friend of mine (a liberal progressive from California no less!), a few weeks ago, was once again crying about undue political influence and the terribleness of the Citizens United decision.  A decision touted as likely to destroy free speech and allow unlimited corporate spending in elections.  This unlimited corporate spending would then go on to crush the ‘little guy’ in the US.  Cause as we all know money and money alone wins elections.

Well it turns out that in the 2010 election, the number one spender in that election was the Public Sector Unions.  They outspent everyone by 3:2, and still the Democrats went down in droves.  It was a wave election, the largest single election swing in the US House of Representatives in over 60 years.  But by all rights given the fact that Democrats outspent the Republicans, and that everyone ‘knows’ money alone wins these things how’d this happen?

I’ll get to that in a moment, but consider this latest example.  There was recently a spate of Recall elections in Wisconsin.  Attempts were made by the state Democrats, to remove Republicans that they didn’t like who voted to reduce the power of the Unions in that state.  The Democrats outspent the Republicans 2:1 again and still were only able to win 2 of the 6 elections.  A far cry from the 4 they need to take control of the Senate.

So why does this happen?  If money is the single determinant of elections, how is it possible that the Democrats keep losing?

I will tell you as someone who has actually helped participate in elections, and gotten candidates elected.  Money is not the sole determinant of elections.  All those pundits are wrong.  I was about to go off a conspiratorial tear, when I remembered the great maxim.  Never subscribe to conspiracy, what you can subscribe to incompetence, and in this case laziness, as it is far easier for the talking heads, the reporters and the pundits, to talk about a single issue, than to talk about all the other issues.  Whenever there is an easy answer they will seek it.  It’s far easier to say money is the sole decider than to get out there and do some legwork and discuss the issues.

Hey when you got a 10 second sound bite to fill, you don’t want to talk about the fact that elections are determined by voters.

The talking heads don’t want to mention that after every single attempt to increase regulation and control on election spending, that election spending goes up?  That’s a whole other issue.

So I the professional politician am going to let you on the secret that the talking heads have forgotten.  In the end, it’s not money that determines elections.  It’s you.  You the voter, determine the outcome of elections.  Not the special interest groups, not the money, not the talking heads.  If you’re not buying this brand of cool aid, you are not going to vote for the bozo you disagree with.  No matter how much money they spend.

The talking heads don’t want you to think that you matter.  That your voice can be heard, cause if that happened, why would you need them?

Post by: David March

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