6 Mind-Blowing Stats on How 1% of the 1% Now Dominate Our Elections

[Iwillnevergiveup]

##snip##

"Here's a statistic that should jolt you awake like black coffee with three shots of espresso dropped in: In the 2012 election cycle, 28 percent of all disclosed donations—that's $1.68 billion—came from just 31,385 people. Think of them as the 1 percenters of the 1 percent, the elite of the elite, the wealthiest of the wealthy.

"That's the blockbuster finding in an eye-popping new report by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan transparency advocate. The report's author, Lee Drutman, calls the 1 percent of the 1 percent "an elite class that increasingly serves as the gatekeepers of public office in the United States." This rarefied club of donors, Drutman found, worked in high-ranking corporate positions (often in finance or law). They're clustered in New York City and Washington, DC. Most are men. You might've heard of some of them: casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Texas waste tycoon Harold Simmons, Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg."

##snip##

More at
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/06/one-percent-wealthy-dominate-2012-elections-congress

[Iwillnevergiveup]

1. Is this not

a clear-cut path to fascism? Business buying the government.

[Kablooie]

3. America's government is still by the people and for the people. Just not very many of them.

[corkhead]

5. The writers of the Constitution didn't have spell-check; it was supposed to say "Buy the people"

[yurbud]

9. It's already bought. This is just there way of deciding which of their employees gets promoted

[AndyA]

2. The best government money can buy.

If the founding fathers returned to America today, they'd be royally pissed off. I can only imagine what they'd say about Citizens United, the interpretation of the Second Amendment, gerrymandering, voting rights, etc.

This is why things are so screwed up: money has been allowed to infect government. The disease is fatal unless it's controlled quickly. If the American people don't do something to put a stop to it, nothing is going to happen.

What is it going to finally take? When will enough be enough?

[Kablooie]

4. They'd probably squabble over it all just like we do. Some of them were conservatives too.

But they'd probably be so fascinated with lightbulbs, airplanes and televisions that they wouldn't ever get around to looking at the politics behind it all.

[pa28]

6. The graph is jarring. No wonder megadonors act as gatekeepers for both parties.

Sometimes it seems there is a litmus test to appear on the ballot for high office. Once in a while you get a wildcard like Jeff Merkley sneaking into the deck but for the most part you must demonstrate your belief in free market orthodoxy.

Low taxes on the wealthy equating to high growth and jobs, free-trade equating to high growth and jobs but most of all you've got to assure megadonors that public assets should be transferred into private hands. A major difference between the parties seems to rest in the degree and speed at which these things should happen so the megadonors win even when they lose.

If you feel your own party is giving you, the small donor, a gigantic middle finger most of the time it's not your imagination.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

7. Well said, pa28

If you are from PA, must say I thoroughly enjoyed my years at Pitt!

The way I see it these days, we have 2 giant logjams to democracy in this country: the House Rethugs and the Supreme Court. There is something we can do in 2014 about the former, but as for the latter....Scalia is 77...maybe, just maybe he'll figure he's done enough and retire??? Please, make it so.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Iwillnevergiveup.

[Bill USA]

11. great post. The GOP's endless barrage of disinformation (amply aided by M$M toadies) continues to

con millions of working class suckers to vote them into office so the GOP can royally screw them (and us who don't deserve it).
Surely, Joseph Goebbels is chuckling in his grave.

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