As you can see in the chart* below, Obama has raised almost twice as much as McCain this year—603 million as of the end of September. It's estimated that he'll raise three quarters of a million dollars by election time.
There's little question that this has a distorting effect on the selection of our leaders. In other words, if Obama wins in a close election, the chances are overwhelming that he bought it through advertising! That's because most people get information about the candidates passively by overhearing it while watching something else, i.e. through advertising.
Why does that make a difference? Because ads are one-sided at best and misrepresentations, if not outright lies, at worst. They take things out of context and exaggerate the differences. The only way for the opposition to correct this fictional narrative is through ads that set the story straight. Without money, a candidate can't correct misimpressions much less play the game in reverse and define the opponent through distortions and misrepresentations of their own! That's how politics is played in America.
Is this fair? Of course not. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court's interpretation of the free speech provision of the Constitution has hamstrung efforts to control spending. Until that changes, nothing definitive can be done.
In other words, short of a constitutional amendment or a new Supreme Court, the leadership of America is up for sale!
Why does that make a difference? Because ads are one-sided at best and misrepresentations, if not outright lies, at worst. They take things out of context and exaggerate the differences. The only way for the opposition to correct this fictional narrative is through ads that set the story straight. Without money, a candidate can't correct misimpressions much less play the game in reverse and define the opponent through distortions and misrepresentations of their own! That's how politics is played in America.
Is this fair? Of course not. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court's interpretation of the free speech provision of the Constitution has hamstrung efforts to control spending. Until that changes, nothing definitive can be done.
In other words, short of a constitutional amendment or a new Supreme Court, the leadership of America is up for sale!
Image:
Open Secret. (2008, October 20). Banking on Becoming President. (OpenSecrets.org). Retrieved October 27, 2008 from http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.php
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