Money: The Bane of Politics

The sad truth is that however strong a candidate's ideals and policies, a man, or woman for that matter, can not rise to a national political level due to the need for political funds to trade directly for political capital in the form of recognition and approval. As I am writing this, I am watching Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel, a man who I disagree with both in demeanor as well as views, interviewing Mitt Romney, a governor poised to be the most efficient fund raiser in the Republican Party. As most of you may know, the major candidates have released their respective fund raising totals in the fast three or four days. These illustrate the funds raised in the first quarter of the year, but more importantly, their own connection with their potential nationwide constituents. However, this is more the case for some rather than others. For example, Hillary Clinton, known for her family's political machine that has been loosely reassembled, had great expectation of raising upwards of 20 million, which she did, with a seeming sense of ease. Raking in 26 million and complimenting that with a tidy sum from her senate campaign, Hillary Clinton by no means fell short of the fund raising total her air suggests. However, many speculate the possibly upwards of 5 million of that money is not cash on hand for the primary, but rather for the general election. Barack Obama, the wildcard fundraiser of this quarter astonished all political pundits by waiting 3 days and announcing the startling sum of 25 million, with only 1.5 of it reserved for the general bid. This sum of money was supplimented by a release of number of donors, totalling more than double that of any other candidate. 100,000 donators and 50,000 of those making online donations, with a average of more than 120$ per online donator. This leads America to identify his grassroots support that is evident and will remain so throughout his audacious bid for president. While money is perhaps the bane of politics as it prevents men like Joe Biden, Evan Bayh, Tom Vilsack, and others from receiving the numbers their ideologies deserve, it also provides a strong indicator of a push for change in an otherwise stangnant political power struggle. On the republican side, Guiliani raised a fair sum, not quite comparing to Romney, and it was McCain, the initial frontrunner, who brought in a fairly meager amount of money for the amount of national attention he has received. In the coming weeks, more specifics will be released regarding the funds for the '08 bidders, including number of contributors, average donation, cash on hand and prim/gen ratio. However, until that time, we can remain content as once again, the political capital is being distributed as we speak louder than any group of voting public has done in the history of out nation. ~

Introduction to the Political Base

This blog is created with the intent of sharing the ideals that I believe many hold in their own perceptions. However, to redefine the negative connotation often associated with politics, idealistic values must emerge and change the base on which politics is judged. Before I discuss my own political persuasions, I would like to make clear my perceptions regarding the means with which I am projecting them. The internet is a growing force in the political world, as its outreach is projected to expand to more than double the population influenced in the last election cycle. That being said, websites such as Youtube and Digg.com, as well as the one you are currently browsing, exponentially grow due to the "democratization" of America. However, this media influence exhibited not only on the internet can also be detrimental, as smear campaigns are given the mechanism in which to succeed. On the last election cycle, John Kerry was negatively affected by the media through a series of negative campaigns by the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." However, in the cycle we view before us, the democratization of America has negatively impacted perhaps each and every candidate, through independent viral videos that are the means for delivering sweeping messages through subtle means. Negative smears have already arisen through the Hillary-1984 video as well as the Obama-Radical smear that included the insinuation that Barack Obama was educated in an Islamic Madrassa, or radical institution. Opponents have rebuked these ads and campaigns through their own means, but the influence of the internet will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on not only presidential campaigns, but also the ideals that the general public holds in their own perception. This brings me back to my own intent: To carry out the democratization of America by projecting my own voice, a 14 year old with no vested interest in the race of Rebublicans and Democrats, White and Black, Male and Female, Rich and Poor. I have no economic hold in the politics of Washington. I simply have an idealistic investment in the future of our nation. If you feel these views to sway you in any way, I encourage you to subscribe to this blog and comment as to your own views, as well as on views that I project through the means of the World Wide Web. ~