Reach across the isle #1: Money in politics.

[PredFan]

As I explained in this thread:

CDZ - The polarization of American politics.

I want to see if it is even possible to bridge the gap between two polarized groups.

I think that one place where both sides may have common ground is the influence of money in politics.

On the right, I believe that money has too much influence on our political process. I'll bet that many on the left also believe the same.

Do we have common ground there?

 

[BULLDOG]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

I am on nether, but I sure do.

The costs for running a campaign are staggering as is the length of the campaigning. Complicating matters is the media, itself, which has been taking a greater and greater role in the election process.

It's like one, big machine operating at full steam where money=power has reached the level of the robber baron days. That's not a good thing for a republic.

I say we exhume Teddy Roosevelt and give him another go.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

Well, that certainly begs the question "if she is so set on it, why has her campaigned benefited from the system like no other in history?

It's kinda like Al Capone vowing to clean up Chicago.

 

[Fenton Lum]

Been tryna toldja, as long as the public stays bogged down in partisanshitheadedness, you aid and abet the very thing you decry. Publicly funded and shorter elections, or embrace what you have, it won’t change. Regardless of how you vote.

 

[BULLDOG]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

Well, that certainly begs the question "if she is so set on it, why has her campaigned benefited from the system like no other in history?

It's kinda like Al Capone vowing to clean up Chicago.

No. It's kinda like if rules were changed to allow 4 strikes for the batter. Lots of people would want the rule changed back, but it would be stupid to walk away from the plate after three strikes.

 

[PredFan]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

You can't reach across and point fingers at the same time.

 

[PredFan]

I am on nether, but I sure do.

The costs for running a campaign are staggering as is the length of the campaigning. Complicating matters is the media, itself, which has been taking a greater and greater role in the election process.

It's like one, big machine operating at full steam where money=power has reached the level of the robber baron days. That's not a good thing for a republic.

I say we exhume Teddy Roosevelt and give him another go.

I agree. Publicly funded would be the way to go. And keep their budgets low. Maybe require all media outlets to air a certain amount of free ads for publicly funded campaigns as part of their FCC license.

 

[BULLDOG]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

You can't reach across and point fingers at the same time.

So you want the left to say we were for Citizens United? Not gonna happen. The right wanted it. The right got it. Only after you realized it hurt you too do you whine. We never wanted it, but you're pretty stupid to think you should be the only ones to take advantage of it. Admit the right was wrong again. Lets change it back and be done with it.

 

[PredFan]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

You can't reach across and point fingers at the same time.

So you want the left to say we were for Citizens United? Not gonna happen. The right wanted it. The right got it. Only after you realized it hurt you too do you whine. We never wanted it, but you're pretty stupid to think you should be the only ones to take advantage of it. Admit the right was wrong again. Lets change it back and be done with it.

You don't seem like someone who can reach across the isle at all. That is the purpose of this thread. You do realize that there was a fuck ton of money in politics before Citizens United right?

 

[BULLDOG]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

You can't reach across and point fingers at the same time.

So you want the left to say we were for Citizens United? Not gonna happen. The right wanted it. The right got it. Only after you realized it hurt you too do you whine. We never wanted it, but you're pretty stupid to think you should be the only ones to take advantage of it. Admit the right was wrong again. Lets change it back and be done with it.

You don't seem like someone who can reach across the isle at all. That is the purpose of this thread. You do realize that there was a fuck ton of money in politics before Citizens United right?

Sure, and I was against all the money before. The first biggest step will be repealing Citizen's United, but there is no way for you to blame that travesty on the left. It's all yours. Admit the fuck up, repeal it, and then we can work on the other aspects, like lobbyists.

 

[PredFan]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

You can't reach across and point fingers at the same time.

So you want the left to say we were for Citizens United? Not gonna happen. The right wanted it. The right got it. Only after you realized it hurt you too do you whine. We never wanted it, but you're pretty stupid to think you should be the only ones to take advantage of it. Admit the right was wrong again. Lets change it back and be done with it.

You don't seem like someone who can reach across the isle at all. That is the purpose of this thread. You do realize that there was a fuck ton of money in politics before Citizens United right?

Sure, and I was against all the money before. The first biggest step will be repealing Citizen's United, but there is no way for you to blame that travesty on the left. It's all yours. Admit the fuck up, repeal it, and then we can work on the other aspects, like lobbyists.

Take out Citizen's United and then take out union money as well, then we can work on the rest, agreed?

 

[BULLDOG]

Of course we do. The right was all for Citizens united until you realized it helped the DNC raise money too. Only one party is for passing laws to reduce the effect of money on our elections, and only one candidate has said she will make it a priority.

You can't reach across and point fingers at the same time.

So you want the left to say we were for Citizens United? Not gonna happen. The right wanted it. The right got it. Only after you realized it hurt you too do you whine. We never wanted it, but you're pretty stupid to think you should be the only ones to take advantage of it. Admit the right was wrong again. Lets change it back and be done with it.

You don't seem like someone who can reach across the isle at all. That is the purpose of this thread. You do realize that there was a fuck ton of money in politics before Citizens United right?

Sure, and I was against all the money before. The first biggest step will be repealing Citizen's United, but there is no way for you to blame that travesty on the left. It's all yours. Admit the fuck up, repeal it, and then we can work on the other aspects, like lobbyists.

Take out Citizen's United and then take out union money as well, then we can work on the rest, agreed?

Unions vote on where to pool their political spending. Are you saying they should't have that right?

 

[PredFan]

You can't reach across and point fingers at the same time.

So you want the left to say we were for Citizens United? Not gonna happen. The right wanted it. The right got it. Only after you realized it hurt you too do you whine. We never wanted it, but you're pretty stupid to think you should be the only ones to take advantage of it. Admit the right was wrong again. Lets change it back and be done with it.

You don't seem like someone who can reach across the isle at all. That is the purpose of this thread. You do realize that there was a fuck ton of money in politics before Citizens United right?

Sure, and I was against all the money before. The first biggest step will be repealing Citizen's United, but there is no way for you to blame that travesty on the left. It's all yours. Admit the fuck up, repeal it, and then we can work on the other aspects, like lobbyists.

Take out Citizen's United and then take out union money as well, then we can work on the rest, agreed?

Unions vote on where to pool their political spending. Are you saying they should't have that right?

Yes. Take money out of politics. You seem to only want money taken out that goes to the GOP.

That is a start.

 

[BULLDOG]

So you want the left to say we were for Citizens United? Not gonna happen. The right wanted it. The right got it. Only after you realized it hurt you too do you whine. We never wanted it, but you're pretty stupid to think you should be the only ones to take advantage of it. Admit the right was wrong again. Lets change it back and be done with it.

You don't seem like someone who can reach across the isle at all. That is the purpose of this thread. You do realize that there was a fuck ton of money in politics before Citizens United right?

Sure, and I was against all the money before. The first biggest step will be repealing Citizen's United, but there is no way for you to blame that travesty on the left. It's all yours. Admit the fuck up, repeal it, and then we can work on the other aspects, like lobbyists.

Take out Citizen's United and then take out union money as well, then we can work on the rest, agreed?

Unions vote on where to pool their political spending. Are you saying they should't have that right?

Yes. Take money out of politics. You seem to only want money taken out that goes to the GOP.

That is a start.

You think lobbyists only pay off one party?

 

[PredFan]

You don't seem like someone who can reach across the isle at all. That is the purpose of this thread. You do realize that there was a fuck ton of money in politics before Citizens United right?

Sure, and I was against all the money before. The first biggest step will be repealing Citizen's United, but there is no way for you to blame that travesty on the left. It's all yours. Admit the fuck up, repeal it, and then we can work on the other aspects, like lobbyists.

Take out Citizen's United and then take out union money as well, then we can work on the rest, agreed?

Unions vote on where to pool their political spending. Are you saying they should't have that right?

Yes. Take money out of politics. You seem to only want money taken out that goes to the GOP.

That is a start.

You think lobbyists only pay off one party?

No of course not, but you on the left wouldn't be so anti-Citizen's if the majority of it went to the Democrats.

Are you saying that you won't agree to the compromise?

 

[BULLDOG]

Sure, and I was against all the money before. The first biggest step will be repealing Citizen's United, but there is no way for you to blame that travesty on the left. It's all yours. Admit the fuck up, repeal it, and then we can work on the other aspects, like lobbyists.

Take out Citizen's United and then take out union money as well, then we can work on the rest, agreed?

Unions vote on where to pool their political spending. Are you saying they should't have that right?

Yes. Take money out of politics. You seem to only want money taken out that goes to the GOP.

That is a start.

You think lobbyists only pay off one party?

No of course not, but you on the left wouldn't be so anti-Citizen's if the majority of it went to the Democrats.

Are you saying that you won't agree to the compromise?

There are lots of ways that money is effecting our elections. I thought you wanted to find areas of agreement.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

I'm a liberal. I agree with you PredFan on getting money out of politics as, I think most citizens would.

Citizens United was the right call by the SCOTUS. Simply look at the ramifications of overturning the ruling.

A better solution would be a constitutional amendment to implement campaign finance reform. No dark money, no super pacs, no anonymous donations, no corporate donations, and very limited amounts; or just public campaign finance with limited budgets.

Unions should stop giving campaign contributions and allow individual members who wish to make contributions to do so, or not.

And neither Representatives or Senators for the Democrats nor the GOP have done much about this since McCain and Feingold 14 years ago. Lack of political will has undermined any legislative action on this front.

 

[PredFan]

Take out Citizen's United and then take out union money as well, then we can work on the rest, agreed?

Unions vote on where to pool their political spending. Are you saying they should't have that right?

Yes. Take money out of politics. You seem to only want money taken out that goes to the GOP.

That is a start.

You think lobbyists only pay off one party?

No of course not, but you on the left wouldn't be so anti-Citizen's if the majority of it went to the Democrats.

Are you saying that you won't agree to the compromise?

There are lots of ways that money is effecting our elections. I thought you wanted to find areas of agreement.

I do, if it's possible. You seem to think that "agreement" means agreeing with you.

 

[PredFan]

I'm a liberal. I agree with you PredFan on getting money out of politics as, I think most citizens would.

Citizens United was the right call by the SCOTUS. Simply look at the ramifications of overturning the ruling.

A better solution would be a constitutional amendment to implement campaign finance reform. No dark money, no super pacs, no anonymous donations, no corporate donations, and very limited amounts; or just public campaign finance with limited budgets.

Unions should stop giving campaign contributions and allow individual members who wish to make contributions to do so, or not.

And neither Representatives or Senators for the Democrats nor the GOP have done much about this since McCain and Feingold 14 years ago. Lack of political will has undermined any legislative action on this front.

I think that public financing is the way to go with this. Also a very limited budget for each. Perhaps require media outlets to provide a certain amount of air time equally as part of their license contract with the FCC. Looking at PACs and other special interests when in office is another animal but needs to be addressed as well.

I'm ok with overturning C.U., but only as part of a major overhaul and elimination of all monies, as you just listed.