Let the spending begin anew! Now that five of the nine justices have ruled that money is speech, and corporations are people, it’s time to start REALLY pumping some money into the coffers of the purveyors of political ads…and revive the struggling print and broadcast media!
I will remind my friends on the left, who let out a wail heard ‘round the city late yesterday morning, that this ruling applies to the crowd on Nob Hill (Wisconsin Education Association Council) as well as to the crowd on East Washington Avenue (Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce). Everybody, left or right, can spend, spend, spend!!!
It’s truly a horrible decision for the American sheeple, who have demonstrated time and again that attack ads and negative advertising works, and that they’re not capable of independently seeking the truth or validity of any candidate’s claim.
But it could be a great decision for my former colleagues in the broadcast world, because it means the political ad money will flow like never before. It was political ad money during the Presidential campaign that forestalled the first round of massive layoffs in the broadcasting world. The main burr under the saddle is that broadcasters are forced (by federal fiat) to sell their ad time to politicians at the “lowest one-time unit rate”.
In other words, the politicians made sure years ago they get the best rates for radio and TV ads.
The glut of disgustingly negative political ads we’ll see in the coming months may create enough voter backlash to toss every existing politician out of office, regardless of party affiliation, and may actually hasten the demise of broadcasting in the long run. Lots of viewers and listeners are going to be thoroughly disgusted.
Senator Feingold had a news escape out shortly after the Supremes spoke, saying “It’s important to note the decision does not affect McCain-Feingold’s soft money ban, which will continue to prevent corporate donations to the political parties from corrupting the political process. But this decision was a terrible mistake.”
Corrupting the political process? Senator, you’re kidding, right?
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign minced no words in blasting the ruling, with a news escape which opens by saying “The narrowest of majorities on the US Supreme Court legislated from the bench today, effectively enacting a radical vision of the First Amendment and a bastardized version of democracy that has never been approved by elected representatives of the American people and strays far from the ideals spelled out so elegantly by the nation’s founders”.
It goes on to say that the ruling means public offices are commodities and elections are the marketplace where they’re bought and sold.
Personally, I’m not surprised one bit at the ruling. It’s just another example of how out of touch every branch of government - executive, legislative, judicial - is with the people.
A lot of us are awfully fed up with political business as usual, and this is just another disgusting example.
Ask the folks who just voted in the Massachusetts election about that.
>> It’s truly a horrible decision for the American sheeple, who have demonstrated time and again that attack ads and negative advertising works, and that they’re not capable of independently seeking the truth or validity of any candidate’s claim. <<
ReplyDeleteNow, now, Tim, you're being provocative again! I can't imagine that you honestly believe that keeping some ads off the air in an effort to take money out of politics will cause the "sheeple" to seek "the truth or validity of any candidate’s claim".
Look, I'll be straight with you. Negative campaigning in elections goes back to the founding of this republic. You know your history; look at the fur that flew around the turn of the 19th century. Remember the 1798 "Sedition Act"? A law passed to make it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials. Benjamin Franklin's grandson died while awaiting trial for breaking that little law. Ten other newspaper editors were found guilty of sedition "often before openly partisan Federalist judges". Why is now any different?
That is, what is it with our Congresscritters that makes them think they can regulate speech? If only we "take the money out of politics," they moan, "the people will rise up out of their negative ad-imposed torpor and become intelligent voters!"
Or do you feel as, apparently, so many of our elected encumbrances have felt, that it's the government's duty to at least TRY to "take the money out of politics"? To show that their hearts are in the right place, of course.
>> Corrupting the political process? Senator, you’re kidding, right? <<
Ah! I see that it isn't a lost cause after all!
Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing ALL campaign donations reported. No limit on them, but just report who gave what to whom. That, at least, would show that the government is "doing something" by revealing where the money comes from.
But how does "taking the money out of politics" make the political process more transparent or honest? Seriously.
Lets say that negative ads of any stripe were strictly prohibited. No innuendos either. No back-handed compliments, damning with faint praise, false endorsements, nor weeping celebrities singing "Kumbaya"...ESPECIALLY not that last one!!
So ALL politcal ads would be civil and polite. What information can be imparted in 30 seconds on TV that is in the remotest way indicative of a person's record, character, achievement, or suitability for the office? I mean, really.
We NEED negative ads, Colonel. The leftie TV noozmen aren't going to criticize anybody they deem multiculturally correct, politically correct, or genderly correct. C'mon! Look at what's happened in the President's first year regarding fawning news coverage. There was even a nod to the old Sedition Act in the White House's very public disapprobation of Fox News. (Sorry, I'm not putting it down where the cows can eat it.)
>> A lot of us are awfully fed up with political business as usual, and this is just another disgusting example.
>> Ask the folks who just voted in the Massachusetts election about that. <<
Yes! I KNOW that you get it! You're simply aggravated about politics and politicians to the point where you wish they'd all ESAD!!
I forgive you, my son. We NEED people like you to poke the complacent, prod the pompous, reveal the rottenness, and generally pontificate about the way things could be if we'd only grow a particle of brain!!
Regards,
The Town Crank
I see that our S.C.O.T.U.S. has allowed the corporate avatar to lead us. Corruption, patronage? Yes we've fought that before. Intelectualism replaced with branding and idealism, a new dark age? Perhaps. But let's not be confused by our political lament-ers and dancing nay bobs. Society is planning, not struggle. Deny the avatar, let us define ourselves through our will, through our Constitution! Let us construct OUR plans and move on to the next social evolution led by humans not avators.
ReplyDeleteVIE ET ARMIS
The glut of disgustingly negative political ads we’ll see in the coming months may create enough voter backlash to toss every existing politician out of office, regardless of party affiliation
ReplyDeleteAnd this is bad because...............????
More serious: it is ironic in the extreme that restrictions on free speech are seen as helpful to 'the sheeple' in voting decisions.
Following your logic to its extreme, how about ZERO advertising--by ANYONE--because, obviously, that's the only way "the sheeple" will be able to render an informed judgment!!
Crank is right.
Crank is a VERY smart guy, Dad, and knows me pretty well. He's right when he says my true attitude is "f 'em all". As usual, I'm more about being pissed off than being truly thoughtful.
ReplyDeleteOh, PLEASE.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reclaimdemocracy.org./nike/
Well.
ReplyDeleteBeing pissed off is better than being room-temperature. Ask me!
antpoppa,
ReplyDeleteI went to that reclaimdemocracy.org link. They don't like having corporations treated as people in 1st Amendment considerations.
That's very curious. I don't see the difference between Nike, say, and MoveOn.org in that respect.
I'm not sure what you're saying with that link, if anything. A two-word comment may be the soul of brevity, but it holds little meaning.
The Town Crank