Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Skyrocketing Price of Buying an Election

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

I read an opinion piece recently which suggested that our betters, America's billionaires, are growing weary of writing more and bigger checks in order to control our democratic process.   In particular, they feel that the Republican Party should be able to settle on an acceptable (to them) standard bearer more expeditiously and more cheaply than was the case in 2012.   They finally wound up with a candidate who realized the importance of unfettered capitalism, but the process of getting there gave every nitwit with a message or a grudge the opportunity to stir the national opinion pot.

The process was not efficient, and it certainly was not cheap.  And it was brutal to the point that their eventual nominee was too damaged in the primary battles to win the national election.

Now, according to the article I read, the handful of fat cats who own the Republican Party are focused on trying to come up with schemes that will rush the selection process and winnow the field early on.  That would include things like a shorter primary season, fewer debates, and dumping more money at the front end to discourage underfunded candidates from even getting involved.   Clearly they would like to stifle the rabble whom they have used so shamelessly in the past.   The games were fun, but they are over, and now it's time for the rich grown-ups to run the show.

It was noted in the piece that the billionaires running the GOP have three candidates whom they prefer:  Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, and Mitt Romney.   Each of those have executive experience from running a state government, each is white, each is male, and each understands the importance of money and influence in the political process.   They are men of honor who once bought would likely stay bought.

And in the event Chris the Bully, Jeb the Bush, or Mitt the Re-tread proved unable to win the national election, Mrs. Bill Clinton also knows and appreciates how things work.

The boys with the billions might just get this one on the cheap!

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