Reply #14: Stay On Topic Here... [View All]

[KharmaTrain]

It's not what I think...I'm looking for suggestions and solutions. I agree change needs to be made, but what is realistic legislation and what would its impact be? The topic is about how special interest money should be minimized...so how does one go about that? What laws need to be written or ammended? What wil stand up to court challenges? Which can realistically pass a divided Senate?

I was a strong supporter of McCain-Feingold and Shay-Meahan...previous attempts to limit the influence of corporate cash in elections, and we saw in this past one how it didn't help...and that it created new loopholes that need to be plugged.

As one who worked with his father's medical practice in his final years, I could go on and on about the injustices to the poor by big pharma and the insurance companies. That's another issue that I hope Democrats investigate and address, but this topic is about the process where politicians need to cozy up to corporates and other special interests due to the needs to raise big money to maintain their jobs. How does one get rid of all the big money so that it doesn't hurt those you want to be your champions?

Sadly, having a great candidate show up at every VFW, town hall, newspaper interview and ring thousands of door bells talking about legislation is easily trumped by 30 second "gotcha commercials"...and in many instances is the only impression most voters get of a candidate. We like to think we're politically attuned, but that's not the "average voter"...that 10% that can swing an election one way or another and the ones where the most money is spent. Do we ignore reaching these people cause we can't afford to? Or is there another way?

Again, I'm asking questions. Please don't play the strawman game of assuming what I think. My query is to see what options and ideas are out there. Got any?