Preferences of average Americans have a near-zero impact on public policy

[brocktonblockbust]

no matter how much the U.S. was a dictatorship by the rich during 1981-2002, it's far worse now.

The New York Times front page on Sunday 2 August 2015 bannered, "Small Pool of Rich Donors Dominates Election Giving," and reported that:

"A New York Times analysis of Federal Election Commission reports and Internal Revenue Service records shows that the fund-raising arms race has made most of the presidential hopefuls deeply dependent on a small pool of the richest Americans. The concentration of donors is greatest on the Republican side, according to the Times analysis, where consultants and lawyers have pushed more aggressively to exploit the looser fund-raising rules that have fueled the rise of super PACs. Just 130 or so families and their businesses provided more than half the money raised through June by Republican candidates and their super PACs."

@Gandalf
@El Kabong
@Kirkland Laing
@TitoFan

[TitoFan]

Campaign fund-raising in and of itself is a dirty business. There will be those who will defend the system until the cows come home, but let's face it... it's a system begging for corruption and undue influences. There should be a better way.

[El Kabong]

Well kinda, here and there the squeaky wheel gets some grease. Marijuana policy has changed a great deal recently, gay marriage, and other such one offs have changed.

[walrus]

Your first problem is You are reading the new York Times. It's a shame it turned into such a piece of doo doo. As I have said before american politics is political interest groups wrapped in a flag. Both parties, they are full of doo doo. While the US gets a lot of critique throughout the world, and rightly so, I'm just wondering where is a country that does not have these issues. The US is just magnified as we are big and powerful but in my studies I have yet to find a utopia out there. It's a shame, it's like the whole world turned into a political shithole. America has a lot of crazy Shit but it is an amazing country in many aspects. Texas is roughly the size of France. Despite the craziness in the world and in the US itself the fact that such a massive country has internal stability is quite impressive. I like a lot about the US. One thing I would like to see is term limits in the Senate. I think that might help with the political interest stuff. America is far to apathetic when it comes to voting. It is very hard to unseat an incumbent. Our problems are to big to be fixed with term limits but I think it would be a good start.

[TitoFan]

You're right in that the U.S. has a lot to be proud of. The stability you mention for such a big country is admirable for sure. Of course there are problems, but what country doesn't? I think if term limits can apply to the President, they should apply to Senators as well. Why not? And what is there to prevent changing those rules?

Special interest groups are a whole 'nother animal, though. It's downright ridiculous to see the hold some of these groups have over the electionary process and the elected officials. Some of these don't even hide their intentions of controlling who gets elected and why. Maybe "controlling" is a strong word, but there is certainly a vast amount of influence. A couple of my "favorites" are the NRA and the oil lobby. The NRA even has a rating system for Presidential candidates, which I just found out the other day, and couldn't help laughing out loud.

[walrus]

You're right in that the U.S. has a lot to be proud of. The stability you mention for such a big country is admirable for sure. Of course there are problems, but what country doesn't? I think if term limits can apply to the President, they should apply to Senators as well. Why not? And what is there to prevent changing those rules?

Special interest groups are a whole 'nother animal, though. It's downright ridiculous to see the hold some of these groups have over the electionary process and the elected officials. Some of these don't even hide their intentions of controlling who gets elected and why. Maybe "controlling" is a strong word, but there is certainly a vast amount of influence. A couple of my "favorites" are the NRA and the oil lobby. The NRA even has a rating system for Presidential candidates, which I just found out the other day, and couldn't help laughing out loud.

Yes tito I hear you. I support the right to bear arms but the NRA and its lobby is too much. Of course the anti gun people come to the table with money as well. You fixed your words but I don't think political interest groups controlling elections is going to far. Obama came from out of left field but with a billion behind him. I don't care for Trump but the fact that he has his own campaign money is something interesting. Of course he has a lot of favors owed gaining his ten billion dollar bank account.

[brocktonblockbust]

mayors of dozens of towns in New Jersey and New York are taking kickbakcs and bribes and using extortion to help their cronies bring in illegal immigrants when it suits them, and they routinely break the laws and flout public sentiment on various issues. new Jersey and New York are totally fucking corrupt as all hell, mayors of towns and senators like Menendez routinely break the laws and take kickbacks on construction projects, etc., and constantly pardon or cover-up for their friends who were directly involved in illegal racketeering, and etc.

If you try to call their office, or send an email, do you really think even if you get a petition of 10 thousand signatures ANY FUCKING CHANGE WILL TAKE PLACE? menedez has the Hispanic vote in New jersey, it means he will win every fucking time, despite being a fucking felon.

[walrus]

mayors of dozens of towns in New Jersey and New York are taking kickbakcs and bribes and using extortion to help their cronies bring in illegal immigrants when it suits them, and they routinely break the laws and flout public sentiment on various issues. new Jersey and New York are totally fucking corrupt as all hell, mayors of towns and senators like Menendez routinely break the laws and take kickbacks on construction projects, etc., and constantly pardon or cover-up for their friends who were directly involved in illegal racketeering, and etc.

If you try to call their office, or send an email, do you really think even if you get a petition of 10 thousand signatures ANY FUCKING CHANGE WILL TAKE PLACE? menedez has the Hispanic vote in New jersey, it means he will win every fucking time, despite being a fucking felon.

Brock, how long are you going to be in the states. I'm going to NYC on Thursday. I know you are in a rush to get back you your utopian existence in the incorruptible turkey but how long are you stateside. Are you getting a gift fir beanz during your international travels.

[brocktonblockbust]

mayors of dozens of towns in New Jersey and New York are taking kickbakcs and bribes and using extortion to help their cronies bring in illegal immigrants when it suits them, and they routinely break the laws and flout public sentiment on various issues. new Jersey and New York are totally fucking corrupt as all hell, mayors of towns and senators like Menendez routinely break the laws and take kickbacks on construction projects, etc., and constantly pardon or cover-up for their friends who were directly involved in illegal racketeering, and etc.

If you try to call their office, or send an email, do you really think even if you get a petition of 10 thousand signatures ANY FUCKING CHANGE WILL TAKE PLACE? menedez has the Hispanic vote in New jersey, it means he will win every fucking time, despite being a fucking felon.

Brock, how long are you going to be in the states. I'm going to NYC on Thursday. I know you are in a rush to get back you your utopian existence in the incorruptible turkey but how long are you stateside. Are you getting a gift fir beanz during your international travels.

I got a few limes for that lout.

Mwa mwwa mwwaa mmmmwwwwwBBBBWAWAWAWAWA

[SlimTrae]

I support comedian Lewis Black's solutions for such issues.