Corporate and Private Campaign Donations.. Necessary or Bribery

Commentary by
Patrick McCormick
9/11/2010

I have been a proponent of campaign finance reform for many years. This practice of massively funding specific candidates, on any level, has to stop. How can the average citizen benefit when a super wealthy individual, a corporation or a special interest group pays the way for a candidate that supports their specific viewpoint. It really does nothing for US and it is simply influence peddling. Because of this practice, your desires mean less than the desires of the campaign donors. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or an Independent, this practice deletes the power of your vote. It is an insult to all of US. The government of The People, by The People and For the People suffers terribly from this practice. We still have the power to stop it if we wish to.

Modern technological advancements like the internet and social networking allow US instant contact with one another. Those advances also allow our leaders to poll US and state their campaign issues and viewpoints directly to US. Direct solicitations of campaign contributions are also possible using internet. Candidate Obama raised huge sums using the internet.

The greatest expense of running a campaign for election is the purchase of media advertising. It is now possible for candidates to advertise directly on the internet. They can reach their supporters and all other interested parties through social networking. Candidates all have websites. They have blogs and send out constant streams of email. It would also be possible to create a “Political Channel” for registered candidates. Write in campaigns also have potential using the internet.

Massive campaign contributions by wealthy individuals, corporate interests, special interest groups and foreign governments are no longer necessary. Our politicians like them because they get to manipulate any funds left when they leave office. In my opinion, “They constitute a delayed bribe”.

Write your representatives; demand change. Do not stop writing until favorable change happens and by favorable I mean change that makes our individual votes heard equally throughout this land. That was the intention of our founding fathers.

I have a link to your representatives on my blog; write them. They need to understand your thoughts on this matter.