It is utterly amazing, beyond all comprehension, how indifferent the American people are to the fact that political office and power in America are purchased. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries candidates were expected to pretend that they were not seeking political office, when in fact they were. Shots of whiskey were often used to lubricate and create good will among voters.
In our country there is a long and rich tradition of trying to purchase elections, and today it has reached mega proportions. Has anyone noticed that our political system is rotten to the core?
Davy Crockett got into politics at the behest of others, who felt that his charming personality and down home good common sense would stand him in good stead in the political arena. It turned out they were wrong; Davy was just too honest and too independent to make a good politician, or at least, a good legislator.
But that didn't keep him from trying. His second wife had some money, and that got him started. He promptly proceeded to try to purchase a seat in congress, and he succeeded, three times. In his own words : "I was able to buy a little of the creature, to put my friends in a good humor, as well as the other gentlemen, for they all treat in that country - not to get elected, of course, for that would be against the law; but just, as I before said, to make themselves and their friends feel their keeping a little."
Even Crockett, with his wife's money and silent moneymen behind his campaigns for congress, was not above getting around the election laws.
Davy further articulated: "I would therefore have me a large buckskin hunting shirt made, with a couple of pockets holding about a peck each; and that in one I would carry a great big twist of tobacco, and in the other my bottle of liquor; for I knowed when I met a man and offered him a dram, he would throw out his quid of tobacco and take one, and after he had taken his horn (drink), I would out with my twist and give him another chaw. And in this way he would not be worse off than when I found him; and I would be sure to leave him in a first- rate good humor."
He went on, as Davy was a talker: "My opponent said I could beat him electioneering all hollow. I told him I would give him better evidence of that...notwhithstanding he had many advantages over me, particularly in the way of money; but I told him I would go on the products of the country; that I had industrious children and the best of coon dogs, and they would hunt every night till midnight to support my election, and when the coon fur wa'nt no good, I would myself go a wolfin', and shoot down a wolf, and skin his head, and his scalp would be good to me for three dollars in our state treasury money, and in this way I would get along."
Had Davy but known the terrible precedent he thus was establishing.
I ran for city council in my town in 1992, and spent only $250.00; it wasn't enough.
In 1992 Bill Clinton was able to purchase the presidency for a mere 40 millions dollars, which seems paltry twenty years later. Obama raised and spent 600 million to get elected, and in 2012 he is fixin' to spend a cool billion. Meanwhile, a Los Vegas multi billionaire has twice recently donated five million to Newt Gingrich in the hope of matching Mitt Romney dollar for dollar.
And we the American sheeple sit idly by, uncaring, unconcerned. Its a travesty.
Nearly everyone who runs for and is elected to congress is a millionaire. The average house of representative seat goes for about a million and a half, and the senate costs somewhat more.
Is this what we really want? Evidently. If it isn't, we don't have the collective will to say so.
Never cite a problem without offering a solution. My solution? Seven little words:
THE PURCHASE OF POLITICAL ADVERTISING IS PROHIBITED.
Until such time as we the manipulated finally rise up and put a stop to the corruption, maybe we could at least refuse to vote for anyone who spends more than, say, ten mil. But the sad truth is, we simply do not care.
Please scroll down for the other articles in this issue of The Truthless Reconciler! Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment