The Washington Post focuses on the lost influence of the "bundlers":
Bundlers who used to carry platinum status have been downgraded, forced to temporarily watch the money race from the sidelines. They’ve been eclipsed by the uber-wealthy, who can dash off a seven-figure check to a super PAC without blinking...We should clarify that the "bundlers" are not necessarily millionaires, but that millionaires are encountering the same problem.
But there is a palpable angst among mid-level fundraisers and donors that their rank has been permanently downgraded. One longtime bundler recently fielded a call from a dispirited executive on his yacht, who complained, “We just don’t count anymore.”
Their response - to focus more on buying Congressmen rather than a president:
Other bundlers, on the left and the right, are turning their attention to congressional races, where they can get more personal attention.
“Senate candidates will call asking for $2,700, and they are eager to talk,” said David Rosen, a longtime Democratic fundraiser. “When they come to town, they’ll meet with you one-on-one. But $2,700 won’t even get you a parking spot at a super PAC event.”
This may be the best evidence against the argument Citizens United and unlimited money do not have a deleterious effect on American politics. If the wealthy, who have long held more sway over politicians than regular Americans, now say they are losing ground to the super-wealthy, then there can be no doubt that more money equals less democracy.
ReplyDeletePoor rich folks only being able to buy their way 99% of the time.
ReplyDeleteI think the only real solution is to have publicly financed campaigns, which, of course, would never pass Congress--it would cost them too much.
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