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I am painfully aware that the Presidency of Barack Obama is not all that I would like it to be. Talk to Democratic Party regulars about it and you’ll sometimes see a sort of pained shrug that conveys the message “What else can he do? He has to give in to the rich people sometimes to keep them from going crazy on him.”
For those people who don’t think that Obama has had to step lightly in some areas to prevent the wealthy from just buying the election for his opponent, I have an article for you to read. It turns out that, as conciliatory as Obama has tried to be, it hasn’t been enough for the wealthy. They’re set on flat-out buying the election for his opponent — without shame. In fact, they do it with pride.
Read this story from TIME magazine. It should make you vomit.
“Obama yesterday came out with a modest proposal to try to roll back some of the income equality in the nation: let everyone keep the Bush tax cuts on the first $250,000 on their annual income and then restore Clinton-era tax rates on any income over $250,000. This is a modest proposal. It recognizes that, what do you know!, larding the wealthiest citizens with as much money as we can (as we’ve done) does not actually lead to job creation after all — it just leads to the wealthiest citizens having gobs and gobs of extra money to give to the campaigns of candidates who want to make wealth inequality worse — and then worse and worse and worse still.
“This has been the nightmare prospect for Democrats — for reformers in general, in fact: that at some point the rich would just say ‘we don’t care what anyone else thinks, we are just out and out buying the Presidency and daring you to do something about it — which you can’t do because we’re the ones who have all of the money.’
“Trying to prevent this shameless hostile takeover of the country’s government — combined with cutting off voter eligibility through ID requirements and the like — is why Obama and the Dems are often so damned conciliatory. They understand the 1% vs. 99% thing very well. They sometimes tread lightly.
“But they haven’t treaded lightly enough this time. It hasn’t worked. Obama has awakened the beast.
“There seems to be a cultural shift under way, the same one that’s driving money to conservative super PACs while Democratic operatives scrounge for scraps. Dems have traditionally relied on more small-dollar donations; without looking at the FEC filings, I’m guessing that Romney’s lead is mostly fueled by large gifts, although his campaign says $22.3 million of June’s total came in donations of $250 or less, a larger percentage than during primary months, albeit still trailing Obama’s numbers in recent filings. Some of the people who give these large gifts are the same ones funding Republican super PACs.
“This isn’t the Citizens United scenario campaign finance reform advocates warned about, where secretive donors funnel their money to outside groups through shell corporations. Republican donors are prouder than ever of their wealth and its political utility to Republican groups, official and unoffical. Anecdotes from Romney’s weekend fundraising junket in the Hamptons suggest that they can’t wait to tell people about it.”
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“Democratic donors just don’t feel the same way. Liberal hand-wringing over the effects of money on politics after the Citizens United decision seems to have made them more hesitant to give. It makes them feel icky.”
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“The President still has plenty of wealthy donors, especially among the Hollywood glamour and Silicon Valley nerd chic sets. And there are other factors to the overall fundraising numbers: The Obama campaign worries about complacency, as evidenced by their frequent reminders in fundraising emails that the campaign finance cards are stacked against them, and the official fundraising tally may list back in Obama’s direction after election really heats up. Despite Kerry’s fundraising surge in the spring of 2004, Bush outspent him by $40 million in the end. But Romney’s super PAC money and the culture of political giving on the right has changed the balance of power in an incumbent election. $106 million in June is just a small taste of what’s to come.”
Read the whole thing for some juicy examples of how the wealthy view this election. (“Tell them who’s on your yacht this weekend! Tell him!”) Have a paper bag ready in case you vomit part-way through and some breath mints available for when you’re done.
For my friends in the Occupy movement, this is why I think that you should not be on the fence this time around. This is not normal politics anymore; the scope of this revolt by the rich is something new. They are aiming for our hearts this time. Obama may too often offer us disappointment, but Romney offers us a government-perverting disaster from which the country literally may not recover. This is exactly what we have been protesting. Will we protest it now?
Which outcome do you prefer? Which side are you on?
*There is nothing wrong with rich people. Sometimes, it is just an accident of birth. Sometimes, it is because someone likes them. Sometimes, they marry into it. Sometimes, they find a very old person ….about to die…..that would rather leave the money to “the nurse”…than the dumbbunnies that reside in the family. Sometimes, it because you are Hispanic and win the Lottery. Sometimes, it is because you are a member of organized crime. Sometimes, it is because you are a Public Elected or Sel ected Bureaucrat that gets money from other rich people. Sometimes, it is because someone walks up to you on the street and says you’ve won a million dollars. Sometimes, it is because you are an Investment Banker that understands Credit Default Swaps. Sometimes, it is because you are a home grown drug dealer with a huge group of clients. Sometimes, it is because you are lucky enough to invent some new and exciting thing that sells like crazy – like the Anti-Snoring Device on TV. Sometimes, they are members of Native American Indian Tribes that make millions from their Gambling Casinos.
All in all, we know these folks are not necessarily mean or bad or nasty human beings. They do get to have those characteristics when things don’t go exactly as they would like. Sheldon Adelson and Citizen United in general are probably very nice folks…that think the rules do not apply to them….so they simply get the rules changed. It is that very old story…”those with the Gold …make the rules”. Of course, if you can find enough folks with pitch forks and an idea…..maybe that could change!
I’m not anti-rich; I’m anti-tax evasion and anti-purchase of government.
Everyone should be anti-tax evasion. Tax evasion is illegal. Legal tax avoidance is done everyday through legal means by normal every day taxpayers as well as the super rich. We all enjoy some tax avoidance benefits…legally and voted upon.
Unfortunately, the power and influence that money buys is crazy ridiculous.
Why do you have a picture of a Chinese pumpkin puking on Romney?
I thought that they loved his free trade and outsourcing mentality.
Sheesh! Even our puking pumpkins are Chinese.
You think that that “eyes shut tight” vomiting pumpkin must be Chinese? Are you out of your gourd?
Round face, squinty eyes, bridge less nose, and the coolie hat…..
And what about the Kung Pao Chicken all over the Romney poster ?
*Dr. D., call the Vice Squad! Ooops….they already have too much to do and that
would put them over budget like in THX 1138!
The way I see it…The Repubs are ruthless and the Dems are wimps. The only person I can think of at the moment who has been completely honest is Yertle the Turtle aka Mitch McConnell, when he said his focus is to make Obama a one term president. I understand what’s at stake but Obama has done many things that alarm me. Look who sits on his cabinet. No one put a gun to his head and said appoint these guys, the latest one being Liz Fowler, executive at WellPoint, the nation’s largest private insurer. Can anyone say revolving door? I don’t understand how Obama changed so drastically. Its like he was threatened by the mafia the day after he moved into the White House.
I’m with you on Inge on how the candidate changed as soon as he was sworn in. Somebody got to him, like the FBI or CIA.
Since we only have so much to work with, I make calls for Obama every week at the local phone bank. We call swing states and try to help get him re-elected, rather than sit back and complain that he’s not what we thought we were getting.
My biggest fear is that Mittens will get elected and push SCOTUS further to the right. Then I’ll have to find another third world country to move to.
Actually, I did help with a certain group doing pretty much what you are doing. All I got was a headache. If this group, whom I will not mention out of courtesy to a certain someone, is any example of what we are in for this election, I suggest you start booking your flight now.
Oh yeah, there are some real knuckleheads that pick up the phone when I call, and I’m never going to change their minds. That’s a given.
There are also some people though that are thoughtful and concerned about who to vote for, and those are the people that I’m looking for.
They are willing to listen to rational discussion and appreciate my honesty that I’m not all rah rah for Obama, but that I have reasons for doing what I do. Maybe I’ll convince them to get out and vote, and vote in their own best interest.
I’m no Super Pac, but I hope to make a difference, and inspire others to do the same.
*No need to stress people……we haven’t even seen one debate yet. The real campaign will not begin until that happens. Right now it is better to just stay nice, relaxed and unoffensive. The cream will rise to the top…….and the world will be
safe for democracy!