158 families donated almost half of the total money in the Presidental campaigns

[HomerJS]

Is this a good thing? Is this a bad thing? Why?

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/10/158-families-dominate-campaign-contributions.html

 

[Jimzz]

Just ignore that pleb... hey look someone you don't know or have any relation got an abortion... focus on that.

 

[Jaskalas]

It's a bad thing because when it comes to electing a politician you know who they are going to be listening to. And it isn't the people in a broad, or general sense.

It's bad because these are the special interests.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Before anyone says it I saw this too. I believe the breakdown is 1/3 Dem 2/3 Republican.
I find it disgusting that we cannot prevent gerrymandering and politicians being bought.
Only hope I have is Trump & Sanders ate not spending much money so it can be thought that the extra money may not be needed if you have a message people want to hear.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Why?

The majority are conservative, with 87 percent supporting Republican candidates, and the majority are also white, male, concerned about their privacy, and most of their money has not been made via inheritance or more established American corporations, but has been self-made from risky endeavors in the finance and energy industries.

Easy peasy: none of your damn business.

Now, if it was liberals the answer is; they are fucking morons.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Makes sense, 158 families own half the money.

 

[Sonikku]

Money = Free Speech so some families just have more speech to give than others.

 

[glenn1]

Makes sense, 158 families own half the money.

And pay half the income taxes.

 

[MongGrel]

Makes sense, 158 families own half the money.

I'd imagine a lot more than half.

And pay half the income taxes.

OMFG, you crack me up.

Seriously, I did laugh.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Meh!!! None get any more votes than I do on election day.

 

[BxgJ]

And pay half the income taxes.

Do you really think they are paying income tax rates?? LOL

 

[AntonioHG]

And pay half the income taxes.

No. Even people of lower income people don't pay the actual rate.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Do you really think they are paying income tax rates?? LOL

In Glenn 's world, they already pay too much. We should be paying them for creating jobs. Oh wait...we already do.

 

[trenchfoot]

So now we have confirmed that very wealthy people have so much money, that they would like to spend millions and millions of their $$$$ that's just sitting around exponentially multiplying itself toward convincing our politicians that they need to acquire even more millions of $$$$ to convince our politicians that these very wealthy folks need even more millions of $$$$ to convince our politicians that they need even more millions of $$$$ and on and on and on to the point where the very wealthy folks and the politicians simply hand those billions and billions and trillions of $$$$ back and forth to each other, each side getting richer and richer every time the money gets looped.

Nice. And here the rest of us are, being left out of that money making loop, yet perpetuating that very loop by voting for those same corrupted politicians over and over again.

edit - At least there's evidence that the average American is getting weary and impatient with it all, by popularizing guys like Trump and Sanders.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

And pay half the income taxes.

And nearly none of them serve or have served or have family that served in the Military.

 

[glenn1]

And nearly none of them serve or have served or have family that served in the Military.

What does that have to do with anything? I'm a vet and my opinion isn't (and I wouldn't want it to be) any more important than Moonbeam's lunatic ravings or anyone else.

And honestly, if you're ultra-rich you probably are doing a lot more for the country than some joker carrying an M4 carbine. We're far better off that Steve Jobs was designing iToilets than being an infantryman or diesel truck mechanic for four years. That doesn't make them better people, we're just all better off when people pursue their highest possible calling and achieve the most they possibly can.

 

[dawp]

Meh!!! None get any more votes than I do on election day.

it's what happens after election day behind closed doors you should worry about.

 

[glenn1]

Do you really think they are paying income tax rates?? LOL

Public IRS data isn't granular enough to break out top 158 families but top 0.1% of taxpayers make 8.8% of total AGI and pay 16.1% of total income taxes paid. They have as much right to "petition for redress of grievances" as anyone else.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

What does that have to do with anything? I'm a vet and my opinion isn't (and I wouldn't want it to be) any more important than Moonbeam's lunatic ravings or anyone else.

And honestly, if you're ultra-rich you probably are doing a lot more for the country than some joker carrying an M4 carbine. We're far better off that Steve Jobs was designing iToilets than being an infantryman or diesel truck mechanic for four years. That doesn't make them better people, we're just all better off when people pursue their highest possible calling and achieve the most they possibly can.

Why does paying more dollars into taxes allow more face time with Politicians shouldn't they represent everyone?
Do you really believe that a person who gives 40 million dollars to a Politician only wants what best for everyone and does nit expect special treatment?

 

[MustISO]

I honestly don't think any money should be collected for campaigns from companies or individuals. It's a bad system that leads to keeps out potentially good candidates by forcing them to have x amount of money to even run. I'd rather see a candidate who's more in touch with the American people rather than whoever can bring in the most money from a very small population of the country. Just makes a bad system worse IMO.

 

[glenn1]

Why does paying more dollars into taxes allow more face time with Politicians shouldn't they represent everyone?
Do you really believe that a person who gives 40 million dollars to a Politician only wants what best for everyone and does nit expect special treatment?

Because tyranny of the majority is just as bad and governments that simply follow 50.00001% populist whims end up being shitholes like Venezuela under Hugo Chavez. People who support activist government built a behemoth government worth buying, you can't simply say to rich people "Your job is to shut up and pay whatever we tell you to without question."

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Because tyranny of the majority is just as bad and governments that simply follow 50.00001% populist whims end up being shitholes like Venezuela under Hugo Chavez. People who support activist government built a behemoth government worth buying, you can't simply say to rich people "Your job is to shut up and pay whatever we tell you to without question."

Just so I understand would this mean a retired person on a limited income or a wounded vet not be able to vote since they don't contribute?

 

[Jaskalas]

Because tyranny of the majority is just as bad and governments that simply follow 50.00001% populist whims end up being shitholes like Venezuela under Hugo Chavez. People who support activist government built a behemoth government worth buying, you can't simply say to rich people "Your job is to shut up and pay whatever we tell you to without question."

Their job shouldn't be to soak up all the wages and ship that wealth and productivity overseas either. With wages as they are, as they have declined so radically, this country is on the cusp of revolution.

The consumers aren't happy.

 

[trenchfoot]

Because tyranny of the majority is just as bad and governments that simply follow 50.00001% populist whims end up being shitholes like Venezuela under Hugo Chavez. People who support activist government built a behemoth government worth buying, you can't simply say to rich people "Your job is to shut up and pay whatever we tell you to without question."

I agree. However, we also can't have these rich people buying and owning themselves every single politician alive.

I can't believe that what our founding fathers wanted was exactly what they despised and rebelled against: Tyranny by the elite.

edit - And yet, that is what our nation has become.

 

[glenn1]

Their job shouldn't be to soak up all the wages and ship that wealth and productivity overseas either. With wages as they are, as they have declined so radically, this country is on the cusp of revolution.

The consumers aren't happy.

So then treat the symptom of donations to politicians? If you were serious about that being the problem then the easy solution is to ban TV ads and thus the need for huge campaign war chests. But this isn't actually about campaign donations is it?