Do you know who really won the Election?

[Figaro]

The Center for Responsive Politics projects the 2014 mid-term election will cost roughly $3.67 billion

Money won the Election
Election Day wasn't a win for democracy. It wasn't even necessarily a win for the Republican Party. It was a win for corporations and the ultrawealthy.

Outside spending far outstripped expenditures by candidates themselves, making many of 2014's hotly contested Senate races — the ones that determined control of Congress — as much or more about the interests of major corporations and a handful of rich Americans. In these 15 races alone, campaign committees and outside spending together came to roughly $830 million.

 

[LoneLaugher]

True.

Do you want to do something about it?

I do.

 

[Mac1958]

The Center for Responsive Politics projects the 2014 mid-term election will cost roughly $3.67 billion

Money won the Election
Election Day wasn't a win for democracy. It wasn't even necessarily a win for the Republican Party. It was a win for corporations and the ultrawealthy.

Outside spending far outstripped expenditures by candidates themselves, making many of 2014's hotly contested Senate races — the ones that determined control of Congress — as much or more about the interests of major corporations and a handful of rich Americans. In these 15 races alone, campaign committees and outside spending together came to roughly $830 million.

Yup.

And anyone who thinks that politicians don't make important decisions based on fundraising potential is in abject denial.

.

 

[JWBooth]

Sure, the same folks who always win.
American Express
Bank of America
Goldman Sachs
Wells Fargo
J.P. Morgan Chase
Citi Group
Koch Industries
Morgan Stanley
General Electric
General Dynamics
Raytheon
Boeing
Bank of New York, Mellon Corp.
Textron
ATK
Lockheed Martin
U.S.Bancorp

 

[LoneLaugher]

In my humble opinion.....this is the subject that all political discussion boards should be focused on. It is, I believe, an area where we can reach that elusive consensus.

I understand that there are some who have......out of party allegiance....voiced support of the Citizens United decision. That fact will likely poison the well.......but I think those voices can be quieted.....and reasoned with.

How about it ? Is anyone here interested in actually doing something about this bullshit?

If so.....I'll ask admin to create a clean forum dedicated to cooperation across the ideological spectrum regarding campaign finance reform and getting the $$ out of politics to at least some degree. Who knows....Maybe an idea or two will be hatched.

 

[Valerie]

The Court turned its back on the reality recognized by political actors for a century: concentrated wealth has a distorting effect on democracy, therefore, winners in the economic marketplace should not be allowed to dominate the political marketplace. Before Citizens United, the Supreme Court recognized in Austin v Michigan Chamber of Commerce that the government had a compelling interest in protecting our democracy from “the corrosive and distorting effects of immense aggregations of wealth that are accumulated with the help of the corporate form and that have little or no correlation to the public’s support for the corporation’s political ideas.” The Court that decided Austin was rightly worried that corporate wealth can dominate the political process and “unfairly influence elections.” Citizens United disavowed this understanding. The public supports the prior consensus of the Court. Shortly after the Citizens United decision, 78% of poll respondents agreed that the amount that corporations are allowed to spend in order to influence campaigns should be limited, and 70% believed that corporations have too much control over elections already. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that Government of and by big money supporters can only be for big money supporters.

10 Ways Citizens United Endangers Democracy Demos

 

[bigrebnc1775]

The Center for Responsive Politics projects the 2014 mid-term election will cost roughly $3.67 billion

Money won the Election
Election Day wasn't a win for democracy. It wasn't even necessarily a win for the Republican Party. It was a win for corporations and the ultrawealthy.

Outside spending far outstripped expenditures by candidates themselves, making many of 2014's hotly contested Senate races — the ones that determined control of Congress — as much or more about the interests of major corporations and a handful of rich Americans. In these 15 races alone, campaign committees and outside spending together came to roughly $830 million.

OH this is funny Hagan got the bulk of outside money but lost

.
Congressional Elections North Carolina Senate Race 2014 Cycle OpenSecrets

 

[Old Rocks]

Unfortunetly, that is not the usual case. Nine times out of ten, the money wins. And when there is that much money pulling the strings, we, the people, all lose. For the candidates are more interested in getting that money, than in what the nation needs.

 

[Freewill]

Money means message getting out, pure and simple.

But for an incumbent to lose, in my opinion, money doesn't matter. They have had either 2 or 6 years to prove their worth and usually, not always, they win regardless of the money. So in order to beat the status quo money is needed. To beat an incumbent is expensive.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

In my humble opinion.....this is the subject that all political discussion boards should be focused on. It is, I believe, an area where we can reach that elusive consensus.

I understand that there are some who have......out of party allegiance....voiced support of the Citizens United decision. That fact will likely poison the well.......but I think those voices can be quieted.....and reasoned with.

How about it ? Is anyone here interested in actually doing something about this bullshit?

If so.....I'll ask admin to create a clean forum dedicated to cooperation across the ideological spectrum regarding campaign finance reform and getting the $$ out of politics to at least some degree. Who knows....Maybe an idea or two will be hatched.

Citizens United makes it possible for the worst to win elections. You'll never get the RWs or Republicans to agree we need to get money out of elections.

This happened right under our noses and the people who would vote to end CU cannot now, or ever again, win an election.

I've been saying it for a while now but we have seen the last of honest elections in the US.

 

[dannyboys]

I'd rather people with records of creating wealth be in charge rather than a bunch of LIB losers dressed in pyjamas living in their mother's basements.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I'd rather people with records of creating wealth be in charge rather than a bunch of LIB losers dressed in pyjamas living in their mother's basements.

^^^

There it is folks.

This is exactly the kind of willful ignorance that makes people vote against their own best interests and the best interests of their family and country.

 

[LoneLaugher]

I'd rather people with records of creating wealth be in charge rather than a bunch of LIB losers dressed in pyjamas living in their mother's basements.

Excellent imaging! Libs in moms basements. So vivid! Says it all.

Let me ask you this. Would you rather have people who have been elected in charge....or people who have tons of money....who never put their names on the ballot?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

There is no doubt that the US is well on its way to being a 3rd world country. RW policies and practices are wiping out the middle class. Family farms are being wiped out, our kids can't afford to go to college in the US but other countries are educating our kids for free.

The Republican party promises to keep you poor making you pay higher taxes. Our parents and grand parents worked hard to establish a middle class but when we vote for the 1%, we're pissing all that hard work away. I recently read that all of what the middle class had gained has now been lost.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Any politician who wants to limit our ability to finance a campaign should not be allowed to vote on any tax or spending bills.

Deal?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Any politician who wants to limit our ability to finance a campaign should not be allowed to vote on any tax or spending bills.

Deal?

Hard to believe but there really are some who believe this is a good thing.

And they all voted for the Koch brothers.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Any politician who wants to limit our ability to finance a campaign should not be allowed to vote on any tax or spending bills.

Deal?

Hard to believe but there really are some who believe this is a good thing.

And they all voted for the Koch brothers.

People who want to "take money out of politics" should be sincere and not be allowed to vote on any taxing or spending

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Any politician who wants to limit our ability to finance a campaign should not be allowed to vote on any tax or spending bills.

Deal?

Hard to believe but there really are some who believe this is a good thing.

And they all voted for the Koch brothers.

People who want to "take money out of politics" should be sincere and not be allowed to vote on any taxing or spending

IOW, they shouldn't be allowed to play by the rules and let the Koch's steal every election.

What a typical knee jerk, RW answer.

 

[Iceweasel]

Waaaaaaa waaaaaa. George Soros' money didn't work this time! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

[Wry Catcher]

The Center for Responsive Politics projects the 2014 mid-term election will cost roughly $3.67 billion

Money won the Election
Election Day wasn't a win for democracy. It wasn't even necessarily a win for the Republican Party. It was a win for corporations and the ultrawealthy.

Outside spending far outstripped expenditures by candidates themselves, making many of 2014's hotly contested Senate races — the ones that determined control of Congress — as much or more about the interests of major corporations and a handful of rich Americans. In these 15 races alone, campaign committees and outside spending together came to roughly $830 million.

OH this is funny Hagan got the bulk of outside money but lost

.
Congressional Elections North Carolina Senate Race 2014 Cycle OpenSecrets

An outlier, one data point only partisan fools finds significant.

Edited to include CrusaderFrank as well as the other fool whose quote was noted.