OUTRAGE FROM THE LEFT

The United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to allow corporations to run political ads. Every group from GE to UAW will be able to spend money on political advertising. The Right is delighted. The Left is furious. President Obama, who is proving to be far more conservative than his left-wing supporters believed, spoke against it in his Strate of the Union speech on Wednesday. He was pretty blunt about it, saying tHat free elections should not be in the hands of deep-pocket big corporations. (I am paraphrasing.)

I went into the website of the Citizen’s Coalition to nudge my memory on how our courts ruled on third party political campaigning. I simply forget. I do remember that the Coalition, at that time run by Harper, was campaigning for Free Speech to be extended so that organizations like the Coalition, and I guess private corporations, could openly advertise on behalf of political parties or candidates. Do I remember that they were given limited rights? Their website said nothing – not that I could find.

Keith Olberman on MSNBC simply went ape. He did a long editorial comment at the end of his program the day the supreme court decision came down. The essence of what Olberman said was that democracy would fall apart. We would be ruled by big coirporation s who could spend billions. Knowing that the parent company of NBC is GE, he expressed some concern that he might not keep his job. I didn’t believe him. GE seems to have been a hands-off owner, especially with the cast of often strident lefties who rant endlessly against the Right. I am an old Left myself, but these people are simply too shrill in their defense of the Democrats and their tirades against the GOP.

According to the book “Freakonomics” money does not win elections. Smart money goes to the candidates who have a good chance to win; to candidates who should win but are running behind. Finally, people vote for the person they like.

I agree to a point.. I don’t think that the Supreme Court decision means an end to people’s democracy. I don’t think giving the Citizens Coalition free rein to spend money in support of right wing causes will make a substantial difference. I hated the billboard on Gerrard street in Toronto which, in big letters, asked “How do you like Socialism so far? It was during the Bob Rae days at Queen’s Park.

As the critics predict horror when big labour and big business can spend money in elections, I remind them that it is nothing new. Labour and Business have been spending a fortune to support candidates. The only thing missing is that they are not, at least I don’t think so, writing and airing political commercials.

I am sad that so much political thinking is governed by how much money you have to spend. Obama outspent Hilary Clinton about two to one. Is that why he won the nomination? Have we so downgraded the ability of voters to make choices that we now fear big money making big promises.

Yes, lobbyists do have an effect. Yes, in America certainly, guys like Joe Lieberman reflect the attitudes of his “sponsors.”

I just don’t think it is the end of the democratic process.