DoctorWu said:
That's the most wonderfully naive thing I've read in weeks!
If you really believe that politicians of any stripe have "the will of the people" in mind, I have some lovely shorefront property in Bayonne to sell you. Cheap!
I have no trouble believing that most politicians think they are representing the will of the people. The problem is that they tend first of all to be surrounded by other politicians who filter the message containing the "will of the people" and when they go out to meet the real people it is mandatory that you concentrate on being in contact with people who have been donors, or people you can turn into donors.
Yesterday I met a candidate for state office who impressed me. I obviously impressed both the candidate and the hired aide who was also at the meeting. The candidate called me this morning to explore the possibility of recruiting me to be part of the campaign team, and then we had a frank discussion about campaign financing. He is running for an office that will be voted on in November 2010. Before that there will be a party primary.... Summer of 2010? He is facing a critical date. Because he is an announced candidate, he must file a campaign contributions report on June 30... six weeks from now. He had a very candid explanation of reality. The party leaders who have the ability to steer the rank and file to support certain candidates will be watching this report. The heavy duty industrial strength players who put big money into campaigns will be watching closely. Both of these groups will be high impressed by candidates who have proven by THIS June 30th they are capable of raising money and getting it from a lot of donors. He put the arm on me to consider making an early contribution of $50, $100, preferably $250 dollars in the next six weeks. We all know that too much of the money comes from the big donors.... the industries who need politicians in their pocket. These big donors will be influenced in who they are going to favor based on how many nobodies like me the candidate has been able to tap this early.
When will this candidate (and all his competitors) ever have time to find out what is "the will of the people"? They will be continually surrounded and reinforced by those of us who will put blood, sweat and tears in the campaign, and those of us who will sign checks of some amount, large or small.
What about the people who choose NOT to be a part of the campaign. How will any of us ever know what their will is? How will any candidate ever know what their will is?
We need for people of wisdom to come forward and change the election system and the election financing system. We have about as much chance of that happening as we have chances for the public to come to agreement on issues like abortion and we come to the point where we all stand around the campfire singing Kum-ba-yah.
But inspite of all the gloom and doom we can profess about our system of government, we have to continue to dream that it DOES work and WILL work. What is the alternative?
