“This is the most important message you will ever receive.” (It wasn’t.)
“You really need to see this message.” (I didn’t.)
“Why haven’t you responded to our requests?” (Because it was a push-poll and solicitation for money.
“WOW! Check out Cory Booker’s stunning announcement.” (It wasn’t stunning at all and did not deserve an all-caps WOW.)
“WOW! WOW! WOW!” (Really? Too many WOWs.)
“I’ve noticed you haven’t contributed to my campaign yet.” (Because daily I receive dozens of requests from your colleagues who want money.)
“So, before the Senate votes, we’re asking for the seventh time, Stephen: Will you add your name to OPPOSE this bill?” (Notice the overt guilt message. That said, I do oppose the bill, but the message is about raising money, not about my viewpoint.)
“Please pause everything you are doing to read this message.” (It was a plea, begging for money to stop Republicans from doing what we Democrats do.)
“Hi! We asked you to sign to demand the Senate vote "NO" on the SAVE Act, but you didn't. This is urgent. SIGN.” (They don’t want my signature. They want money.)
“The House GOP has introduced an amendment to hand Trump a THIRD term.” (While true, the 22nd Amendment and the non-viable pathway to overturning our Constitution means this inflated claim is nothing more than an applied fear tactic to raise money).
These above messages came from people aligned with the Democratic Party. I’m on their lists because I’ve donated to past campaigns. Having received several of these pleas for money each day for the last few years, I’m starting to feel how off-putting political fundraising is. Moreover, lately my phone dings about every ten minutes with a text message from Dems, all wanting, urgently, money. Too much, enough, I’m starting to feel the midterm elections are all up to me and only me. The hyperbolic language alone puts me in an foul mood. Many of texts start with guilt-tripping and false logic (“If you don’t respond, we will assume you are voting for Trump”). Deadlines (theirs not mine) are usually mentioned, suggesting that I alone will ruin everything if I don’t send money by midnight. And, of course, the sleight of hand comes in delivery. Look, I don’t want to be that guy, the one who either sends money for the win or doesn’t sent money for the loss.
To be clear, political parties must raise funds to be viable? Ever since the Citizens United decision in 2010 allowing unlimited contributions from donors to political causes, elections at state and national levels have been influenced and finally dominated by billionaires, dark money interests, and shadow PACs. As things stand, elections are like livestock auctions, highest bidder awarded the best meat. Can we find a way toward fair election funding rather than the approach we now have? And, while we’re at it, how can we put a stop to gerrymandering, a process which has corrupted and devalued democracy? Our elections are often determined by a scale of wealth and unassuageable capriciousness: those who pay the most get the most. Our elections are for sale, and the highest bidder usually wins, not always but usually. “OpenSecrets found that while "money doesn't always equal victory ... it usually does." ("Did Money Win?". Open Secrets. Retrieved December 4,2022.
No way to assure a viable democracy under the present system of running our elections. We often complain about the way foreign authoritarian governments promote (if that’s the proper word) their leaders while overlooking the stacked deck system we use in our elections.
We have no reason to be smug about the integrity of our elections. The way we elect leaders for state and national governmental positions is a mess. Since the Supreme Court decision labeled Citizens United corporations and union organizations have raised and spent massive amounts of money on elections. Each election cycle invites a Spend-O-Thon, and the more money plays a significant role in deciding elections, the greater the risk to our democratic traditions weakening. In theory, an anonymous donor could spend a twenty billion dollars to influence an election for one seat in congress. The money could be included in a Dark Money transfer, and the results would be within the legal election rules, but not within ethical norms. It’s a pay to play game, and the player with the largest stack of chips has a considerable advantage.
Aside from folks buying elections rather than earning them ethically, we should be proud of the incorruptibility built-in to our way of counting votes. Though Trump has attacked the accuracy of our system, he has never presented proof that our votes have been stolen or abused.
Let’s see, it is now four in the afternoon on a bright September day preceding the midterm elections, and since noon I have received twelve requests for money from Dems running for offices all over the country—state governor races, House Representative seats, and Senate races. Add a dozen other requests from progressive organizations such as the ACLU, and I feel like calling a time-out. No mas!
Election reform is needed.