According to this article from Italy’s La Stampa,
Money, money, money: this is the word – bipartisan like no other – that will guide the electoral campaigns of the Republican and Democratic candidates through the next four weeks. Objective – to survive with full treasure chests after February 5, when on ‘Super Tuesday’ 22 states will hold their primary votes.
Getting money depends on electoral success. And electoral success depends on getting money.
To the outsider, the American notion that the political spending of money is protected as freedom of speech is strange. It is one of a few important examples of what distinguishes American capitalism from European capitalism: over there, financial and property rights are generally deemed as important as other human rights; over here, it’s as if they are more important – to be protected and exercised at any cost – even to Democracy itself.
That electoral success depends on the courting of sources of funds to buy voters’ opinions using precious time that could otherwise be spent making political arguments directly to the same voters can be deemed undemocratic – especially as funds raised typically come with certain obligations or expectations that no one ever votes for.
Read “Primaries: A Challenge to the Last Dollar” on Watching America.com
Robin Koerner is a British-born citizen of the USA, who currently serves as Academic Dean of the John Locke Institute. He holds graduate degrees in both Physics and the Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge (U.K.). He is also the founder of WatchingAmerica.com, an organization of over 100 volunteers that translates and posts in English views about the USA from all over the world.
Robin may be best known for having coined the term “Blue Republican” to refer to liberals and independents who joined the GOP to support Ron Paul’s bid for the presidency in 2012 (and, in so doing, launching the largest coalition that existed for that candidate).
Robin’s current work as a trainer and a consultant, and his book If You Can Keep It , focus on overcoming distrust and bridging ideological division to improve politics and lives. His current project, Humilitarian, promotes humility and civility as a basis for improved political discourse and outcomes.