Disagree. If rich people in Charlotte want to donate to long-shot candidates in my county, I’m all for it. Our community doesn’t have the money for Facebook ads that can reach a lot of our voters.
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But now your candidate is beholden to those people, who are not their constituents. Scale that up to the super wealthy spending money on candidates across the country. State offices, federal offices, you name it. Who are they going to listen to? You and me? Or the guys keeping them in office?
jul 29, 2025, 10:13 pm • 1 0 • view
We could allow state and national political parties to provide starter funding for candidates who don't have much, but that's it. Could tie the amount to a base number and then multiply the base by whatever the pay differential is for federal employees in that area, or an average for the state.
jul 29, 2025, 10:15 pm • 1 0 • view
But you run into the risk that you get candidates who are beholden to the political party machine, which frankly has become a business more than anything. Every dollar given to a candidate is really a loan, and the pay off is the legislative agenda. Even you and I. But we're not giving millions.
jul 29, 2025, 10:18 pm • 1 0 • view
Electeds are not beholden to anyone. They could actually do the right thing regardless of who sends in money. Corporate money isn't speech, despite what SCOTUS said in Citizens United, but citizens should maintain the right to donate to candidates who aren't in their district.
jul 29, 2025, 10:22 pm • 0 0 • view
"Electeds are not beholden to anyone." They should be beholden to their constituents. That's the whole point of a representative government. Otherwise why do we bother having elections at all? The reality is they're beholden to the people who give them money so they can keep the job.
jul 29, 2025, 10:38 pm • 0 0 • view
Why are you acting like everyone in Charlotte is rich? We're not
jul 29, 2025, 10:38 pm • 3 0 • view
Certainly not. But there are a lot more D voters in safe seats there than in my county so more folks inclined to donate to flippable races.
jul 29, 2025, 11:24 pm • 6 0 • view
Yeah, "safe" for Democrats.... Tricia Cotham. *drops mic*
jul 30, 2025, 3:22 pm • 2 0 • view
Are you thinking you did something here?
jul 30, 2025, 3:23 pm • 0 0 • view
Pointing out that there's no such thing as safe so long as money can flow from anywhere to influence politicians. Tricia Cotham, elected as a Democrat, betrayed her constituents and the state by switching parties. Now she's looking to keep her seat as a Republican in a newly drawn district.
jul 30, 2025, 3:28 pm • 1 0 • view
They did redraw the lines, and she kept her seat last year. And Meck county Ds helped vote to override Stein’s vetos yesterday including Cunningham who gave a racist statement in her vote for ICE cooperation. But there are still more D voters in Meck county than rural parts of the state.
jul 30, 2025, 3:32 pm • 0 0 • view