How TV campaign ads corrupted U.S. Democracy
In 1776 the authors of the U.S. Constitution tried to create a Democracy based on a system of checks and balances and free and fair elections. And while not perfect, I think they did a pretty good job.
But in the late 20th century something happened the founders could never have foreseen: TV election advertising. Before that time political campaigning was not a very costly business, but when TV came along that greatly changed. TV ads became, and remain, by far the most important tool for winning elections. Now election campaigns became very costly affairs. TV ads cost hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of dollars.
Corporations and Wall Street realized they had a way to legally bribe our politicians running for office. They offer candidates money to buy TV ad time, and in exchange the candidate must do their bidding. If a candidate refuses the corporate campaign finance bribery, then it is offered to their opponent. Armed with all that corporate money they were sure to beat their under-funded opponent in the election. So both parties took the campaign finance bribery. The candidates are trapped: Take the money or lose.
The situation was made immeasurably worse by the supreme Court's disastrous 2010 Citizens v United decision, which declared that campaign finance bribery is a form of free speech. Corporations could even keep their identity a secret, so the voters never know who has purchased their elected officials. Hence the term "Dark Money."
The only solution to this deplorable situation is real campaign finance reform. To restore our Democracy we need laws banning private campaign contributions. Our elections should be financed by public money only. However, this is a difficult task, because anyone in Congress who endorses campaign finance reform will be cut off from the deep pockets corporate donors.
President Biden made a brave attempt to tackle campaign finance reform. He endorsed legislation to ban anonymous campaign contributions. Not surprisingly, every Republican in Congress voted against the bill, and it was defeated. However, Biden was not done. He has pledged to use an executive order to require U.S. government contractors to reveal their campaign contributions. The battle for campaign finance reform is on. It won't be easy, Corporations will fight it tooth and nail. But a blow has been struck against those who corrupt our politics.
But in the late 20th century something happened the founders could never have foreseen: TV election advertising. Before that time political campaigning was not a very costly business, but when TV came along that greatly changed. TV ads became, and remain, by far the most important tool for winning elections. Now election campaigns became very costly affairs. TV ads cost hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of dollars.
Corporations and Wall Street realized they had a way to legally bribe our politicians running for office. They offer candidates money to buy TV ad time, and in exchange the candidate must do their bidding. If a candidate refuses the corporate campaign finance bribery, then it is offered to their opponent. Armed with all that corporate money they were sure to beat their under-funded opponent in the election. So both parties took the campaign finance bribery. The candidates are trapped: Take the money or lose.
The situation was made immeasurably worse by the supreme Court's disastrous 2010 Citizens v United decision, which declared that campaign finance bribery is a form of free speech. Corporations could even keep their identity a secret, so the voters never know who has purchased their elected officials. Hence the term "Dark Money."
The only solution to this deplorable situation is real campaign finance reform. To restore our Democracy we need laws banning private campaign contributions. Our elections should be financed by public money only. However, this is a difficult task, because anyone in Congress who endorses campaign finance reform will be cut off from the deep pockets corporate donors.
President Biden made a brave attempt to tackle campaign finance reform. He endorsed legislation to ban anonymous campaign contributions. Not surprisingly, every Republican in Congress voted against the bill, and it was defeated. However, Biden was not done. He has pledged to use an executive order to require U.S. government contractors to reveal their campaign contributions. The battle for campaign finance reform is on. It won't be easy, Corporations will fight it tooth and nail. But a blow has been struck against those who corrupt our politics.
