2014
Not to worry, the greedy Republicans are not getting all the new money. The shameless Democrats are on the move too.
Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader in the House, wasted little time on Thursday blasting the Supreme Court’s latest decision freeing donors to spend more money on campaigns. The founding fathers, Ms. Pelosi said at a news conference on Thursday morning, had fought for “a government of the many, not a government of the money.” Democrats, she said, will not “unilaterally disarm.”
Indeed, her fund-raisers had already begun to exploit the new ruling. That morning, Ms. Pelosi’s political team began asking donors for tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of additional contributions permitted by the decision, while circulating a legal memorandum to donors who had questions about the new rules, according to Pelosi supporters. NYT 4-5-14
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
I’d love to hear your response to this, Mr. Quinn:
We like to assert that Daily Kos is a reality-based community. At the very least we surely do not deny science. A new study appearing at Princeton’s website may test these assumptions for some of us here. For others, it will be grim vindication of what we already know: the United States of America is no longer a democracy, but rather an oligarchy.
The anecdotes are plentiful, from modest gun control proposals that saw 90% public support, to unemployment compensation, to infrastructure spending, to women’s rights; where a plurality exists even across party lines, the median public interest seems to hold no sway in policy making. Now science has proven this to be correct:
The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence. Our results provide substantial support for theories of Economic Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism.
Distilled down into simple terms: The U.S.A. is now provably an oligarchy; we are a democracy in name only. DINO, as in dinosaur… As in extinct…. Has the acronym ever been more pathetically poignant? .
The authors of this study, which will appear in the Fall issue of the academic journal Perspective on Politics, are Martin Gilens of Princeton University and Benjamin I. Page of Northwestern University. The findings are shocking, but should surprise none. The progressive website Common Dreams (www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/14) today posted an article on the study and pulls this deeply disturbing nugget from the study.
…the nearly total failure of ‘median voter’ and other Majoritarian Electoral Democracy theories [of America]. When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.
Since we are not science deniers, we need to do our part to make this report gets the audience it deserves. None here should take comfort in an “I told you so moment,” because we are all losers here. Despite the trappings and tradition of a representative democracy, the truth is those are just theatrics. At this point, even the echos of democracy are becoming faint. Spectacles like GOP presidential nominees making the pilgrimage to kiss the ring of King Adelson now happen with full knowledge, the vampires are out of the shadows and discover it’s fun in the sun. While satirists rightly lampoon it, media practically celebrates it and the Supreme Court in practice has endorsed it as a victory for the 1st Amendment.
Now that we have science on our side, will we be able to go beyond online outrage? Will the Democratic Party have the courage to fight for the restoration of the public’s will?
I’ll close with an understated gem from page 24 of the study’s published report:
Despite the seemingly strong empirical support in previous studies for theories of majoritarian democracy, our analyses suggest that majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts. Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech and association, and a widespread (if still contested) franchise. But we believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America’s claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened.
The bold is from me. The warning is from science.
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This is tainted by the inference that Democrats are somehow the protectors of Democracy. There are as many elites among Democrats as Republicans, perhaps more. Wall Streeters were among the largest contributors to Obama’s campaign. But my point is that influence peddlers have been around since the beginning, think of the abuses of the Gilded Age and the ultimate results. The power still rests with the people if they make the effort to use it.
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So tell me, Mr. Quinn, if nothing changes, do we have an Oligarchy or a Democracy?
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We have as always a Republic.
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Here is the progressives argument in a nutshell:
I, as a progressive, am not influenced by the big bad money. Despite the millions poured into hard money campaigns and soft money propaganda, I vote for the best candidate and the best policy.
But other citizens are not nearly as smart and sophisticated as I. I must protect them from distortions, lies and self interested half-truths.
Therefore, I must convince my stupid and/or greedy fellow citizens to change the First Amendment to the Constitution which protects free speech because it is being abused by those I disagree with.
Being a progressive carries an awesome responsibility and I must decide to separate the wheat from the chaff not only for me, but for everyone.
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Since when, Vince Ryan, did money equal speech?
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Further, MR. Ryan – If Money equals speech, as the five conservative justices ruled, what does that logically imply about the “free speech” of people with little or no money in a nation where “all men are created equal”?
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Furthermore, Dick, the SCOTUS decision was a victory for plutocrats and a setback for Democrats. I’m sure you have observed that the Republican ideology preaches and supports plutocracy. If you doubt that, read Lyan Ryan’s latest budget. And, many of Lyan Ryan’s fellow Republicans are criticizing his budget because it is not evil enough to please them. Also, bear in mind that a bi-partisan budget has already been passed that takes us through 2015. Therefore, Lyan Ryan’s so-called “budget” is nothing more than a love letter to the Koch’s, Adelson, et al. asking for campaign contributions in 2016. The current SCOTUS is another gift from George Bush (the dumber). The court is 5 to 4 Conservative, hence this ruling. It’s no mystery. George Bush also gave us two unwinnable and unnecessary wars that plunged us into debt and an economic policy that plunged us into a deep recession. Fifteen Saudis attacked us on 9/11, so Bush invaded Iraq and Afghanistan on a credit card. Our current president has given us 49 consecutive months of private sector jobs growth despite stanch Republican obstructionism. Our auto industry is flourishing thanks to his policies and the DOW has doubled during his presidency. He has also ended one Bush war and has nearly ended the second Bush war. We will all play by the terrible rules that this court has created and we will never allow the plutocratic oligarchs to buy our government.
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Show me any society where the best educated, and wealthy did not take the leadership role and hence have the most influence. But you seem to forget that they don’t vote themselves into office at any level. Wealth is power in our republic only if voters allow it to be so.
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Wealth is power in this plutocracy because the voters are overwhelmed by the tsunami of false and misleading information that only the wealthy can afford to create. They vote out of ignorance because they hear and read only lies and misleading information.
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They vote out of ignorance I’ll give you that. But you’ve unsheathed a two-edge sword. They voted Obama in twice, plus a Democratic Congress for many years. There is sufficient false and misleading information coming from the left and right and you don’t need a lot of money to do that.
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Main stream media is truly pathetic these days. They will not air discussions of the significant issues for fear of losing ratings. So we go to cable and encounter Faux Nuz, the propaganda media weapon of the right wing, etc. By the way, the average age of Bill O’Reilly’s viewers is 68 years of age so he is really not as important as he thinks he is.
The southern red states have the highest unemployment rates, the most people without healthcare, the most people on welfare, the poorest education systems, the lowest wages and the very worst voter suppression laws. And, they vote for the same Republicans who are oppressing them versus the Democrats who are dedicated to helping them? Senator Lindsey Graham explained that during several recent interviews, but not in these exact words: When the majority of your constituents are ardent racists, obstructing and attacking a black president is “good politics” and will get you reelected. Very unfortunately, it’s really just that simple. I traveled the south extensively for 25 years as a lumber buyer and I can assure you that racism is very much as ardent and evil as it ever has been.
And, further to this week’s SCOTUS ruling: If Money equals speech, as the five conservative justices ruled, what does that logically imply about the “free speech” of people with little or no money in a nation where “all men are created equal”?
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You have of course explored the net worth of the members of congress both Democrat and Republican. You will find it is a millionaires club and you will find that some of the most outspoken liberals are among the wealthiest including Pelosi and of course Kerry. Wealth can’t be all that bad. http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/
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Thanks, Dick. That’s great to hear. What choice do they have? They must “fight fire with fire”. Yeah, the DOW has doubled under this “Socialist” president, John. You sound like Rush Limbaugh and don’t take that as a compliment, as much as you would love to.
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Nancy Pelosi’s good friend in the U.S. Senate, Patty Murray (D) WA, ran her initial campaign in 1992 as the “Mom in tennis shoes.” She has since become the bag lady for the Democrat Party. The gal whose campaign was as an anti-establishment everywoman, has become the ultimate belt-way bandita.
Nancy and Patty have convinced themselves they are Robin Hoodies. They’ve done right well for themselves.
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Good post Dick. Wilson and his Socialist friends will be donating tons of money to Pelosi and other extremists!
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