(no subject)

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

So about "big money" "buying elections"... pic.twitter.com/k4v6FovWQh #VA07

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 11, 2014

Comments

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Well, that's like your opinion, man.

Get a bigger sample size.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

More amusing than anything else, although this is fairly instructive as an anecdotal point.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

The anecdotal point would be something about the power of racism, in this case.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

That doesn't make any logical sense.

[madam-shapo.livejournal.com]

Racism? Do you really, truly believe racism has anything to do here?
If I follow your logic correctly, then you rather have lawlessness and chaos with thousands of people just crossing the border into the sovereign country.
Do you have any idea the amount of paperwork the legal immigrants have to go through? Consequently, how long it takes them to reunite with their families? It is Ok with you, because they aren't brown?
What is racist in asking everyone to follow the law, desirably the same law?
Try to forget your clichés first.

[oslo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, okay, Jeff. So when the next election comes along and big money smashes the little-money challenger, will we be able to cite it as an "instructive" "anecdotal point?" Or does that kind of special pleading only work when you do it?

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

That doesn't make any logical sense.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

You clearly fail to understand what an anecdote is, versus what a substantial study is.

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

Phil Kerpen and the Supreme Court have changed my mind. Money has no power to influence anything, ever.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

How do you feel about starting a land war in Asia?

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

INCONCEIVABLE!

Oh, Look!

[lsanderson.livejournal.com]

Ittsa black swan!

[mylaptopisevil.livejournal.com]

Odd, that didn't factor in all the endorsements/promotions by Laura Ingraham, etc.

[cinnamontoast.livejournal.com]

Ingraham is special, isn't she? Laura Ingraham: We Should Have Traded Cantor for Bergdahl (http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/06/04/Laura-Ingraham-and-David-Brat-Blast-Eric-Cantor-on-Amnesty-Flip-Flops-at-Campaign-Rally)

It also didn't factor in pro-Brat columns by Ann Coulter, a steady drumbeat in favor of Brat by Drudge, nor all the negative attention to Candor at The Daily Caller and positive attention to Brat at Breitbart.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Explains why he was off my radar.

[chron-job.livejournal.com]

The fact that money is not the only variable does not mean that money is not a variable.

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

That doesn't make any logical sense.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't support the war on drugs that my beloved party pushes, but, ya know, more important things.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

Big money did a lot before the election, like prop up fringe groups on the right through yak radio and telly. When those groups started to grow, though, I do believe big money got its ass bitten.

The Overton Window: before you shift it, consider of what the view might become.

If Brat is as clueless as others on the reality-denial fringe of the right, he'll be out soon. Or not. We'll see. Big money may have shaken a can of whoop ass they cannot re-can.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Brat thanked the Lord, and no one else. And as we know from Job.

The Lord giveth; and the Lord taketh away. Praised be his name.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Please cite me someone who says that money is the ONLY factor in an election.

I mean, surely you have heard of David vs Goliath, right? Smart money is indeed on Goliath, right? But David one. Sometimes, the underdog, pulls out a victory. But it's still the underdog. And many factors go into being the under-dog.

For example, in 1972, when Bobby Fischer went up against the reigning World Champion, Boris Spassky, Fischer had never, not once, defeated Spassky in tournament play. All of their games were draws or Spassky won. Spassky was the reigning champ. And YET, going into the match, Bobby was viewed as the favorite. So many factors need to be considered.

Or does thinking about multiple variables make your itty bitty brain hurt too much?

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Please cite me someone who says that money is the ONLY factor in an election.

Here's an example (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/03/10/the-candidates-dont-matter-in-floridas-special-election-yes-you-read-that-right/).

Or does thinking about multiple variables make your itty bitty brain hurt too much?

That doesn't seem to be my problem here.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

From your link:

As we've often written in this space, candidates do matter. Florida's 13th district is the exception because of how the race has unfolded.

Please stop lying. For fucks sake. The article is pointing to an EXCEPTION.
Ya know what an exception is? DEVIATION FROM THE RULE

That means that the RULE is: "candidates do matter"
There may be exceptions to the rule, but the author is NOT saying that the RULE is that money is the only factor. Please stop lying, you...........*BITES TONGUE*

EDIT: allow me to add this, also from the article:

It's not that the candidates don't matter at all.

That means that the candidates do matter. So surprise suprise, your link does not say what you claim it says. Stop lying.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

As I suspected, there is a lot more to this graph than meets the eye. None of it, for example reflects the dark money (http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C9565CB3-1461-42A0-BF6F-A7BA3DE6B78F) that has been poured into radio punditry recently:

A POLITICO review of filings with the Internal Revenue Service and Federal Election Commission, as well as interviews and reviews of radio shows, found that conservative groups spent nearly $22 million to broker and pay for involved advertising relationships known as sponsorships with a handful of influential talkers including Beck, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh between the first talk radio deals in 2008 and the end of 2012. Since then, the sponsorship deals have grown more lucrative and tea party-oriented, with legacy groups like The Heritage Foundation ending their sponsorships and groups like the Tea Party Patriots placing big ad buys.

(I underlined.)

Why buy ad spots when that has been pre-paid behind the scenes?

When you show a graph, you only show what is officially being graphed. There is more graft unreflected. It was to be expected, but it is really, really troubling. I guess my constitutional amendment making any paid declaration for or against a candidate or concern on the ballot to be declared felony election tampering is just around the corner.

Money must leave politics, or we are doomed.

[pacotelic.livejournal.com]

Clearly, we must repeal Citizens United.