Candidates are buying your vote - Journal of Political Economy

Mention the words 'vote buying' and modern-day political villains Jack Abramoff and Tony Rezko probably come to mind, or perhaps special interest groups that donate to a politician's campaign and expect support when relevant bills come to vote.

It may shock American sensibilities to learn that, in an economic sense, our votes are bought with every election in the form of campaign promises that are paid later at a cost to the voter in the form of taxes.

[DDValentine]

Duh! Like I did not know that...

[Pill]

How true. They are all too willing to sell their vote, sometimes not even knowing that they are doing so. People are, in general, a bunch of sheep, beleaving anything they are told. Everybody want's "MORE" for free without realizing that, in the bottom line, they will have to pay for what they get but with the politicians taking their cut off of the top.

[DS in NJ]

The problem is not that Politicans buy votes. The problem is Americans sell their vote for cheap.

[andet1987]

how about those super delegates who transfer from hillary to obama ? are they being bought ($$$) by obama and oprah ? money talks again ?

[andet1987]

the color of judicial and political system in usa is green. ask johnny cochran.

[RHINO Texas]

Good Morning
I look at polititions as used car salesmen in single tone shoes. This has been going on for years. When I was a kid it was called rainbow stew. A new car in every grage and a chicken in every pot. Uh huh right I do not trust any of them any futher then I can throw them. There was a time any one could stand for office, sadly that is no longer true. It comes down to money plain and simple.

[Crazy Uncle]

That is why the "Party of Lincoln" no longer has the black vote.

[DS in NJ]

Crazy Uncle wrote:

That is why the "Party of Lincoln" no longer has the black vote.

Because ever since Strom Thurmond joined the GOP in 1964, the GOP is the Dixecrat Party in everything but name.

Go google "Nixon Southern Strategy"

[Carpathian]

It's obvious, from the above eight comments, that only the authors are now finding out about the workings of politics. William Kenan and Gordon Fulcher (NWU) and William Eberle (Stanford) should perhaps author papers on something NEW; something that the world doesn't know or perhaps they're only writing for their own closed world of Professors.

Kudos for the above eight comments who know what is going on!

[papa joe]

I think the antitax voters have it all wrong. How would you rather spend your money, on education for our children, money to keep people from starving, decent health benefits, and safety in the food we eat and the drugs we take ... or yachts for billionaires, big profits for oil companies, and enormous salaries for CEOs of major corporations.

[Nanilee]

.comandidates are buying your vote - Journal of Political Economy
Mention the words 'vote buying' and modern-day political villains Jack Abramoff and Tony Rezko probably come to mind, or perhaps special interest groups that donate to a politician's campaign and expect support when relevant bills come to vote.

It may shock American sensibilities to learn that, in an economic sense, our votes are bought with every election in the form of campaign promises that are paid later at a cost to the voter in the form of taxes.

[Ajepa]

Politicians are like diapers. They need to be changed, and for the same reason:)

[Daniel]

One of the Greatest moves to Shrink the Excess of Government, to make Government more accountable, reduce Taxes and Increase Freedom, would to make a fundamental change in our Voting Laws. That Change would be This:.......Only those of the working Private Sector would have the Right to Vote! That way, those of the Public Sector would not have the opportunity of Voting for their own Largess, Expanding Government and Taxes beyond need. After all, it is the Private Sector that produces the Wealth of the Nation and it is Government that Spends the Wealth of a Nation. The only reason for Government to exist is to serve the people....PERIOD!

[The Rock]

Crazy Uncle wrote:

That is why the "Party of Lincoln" no longer has the black vote.

Crazy Uncle That is one way of saying it .
However if you ever live in New York you will see how the hispanics get over .In New york all Potoricans are Demicrats and all have been or is on welfare and its all for exchange of their vote.

[Vox]

Daniel wrote:

One of the Greatest moves to Shrink the Excess of Government, to make Government more accountable, reduce Taxes and Increase Freedom, would to make a fundamental change in our Voting Laws. That Change would be This:.......Only those of the working Private Sector would have the Right to Vote! That way, those of the Public Sector would not have the opportunity of Voting for their own Largess, Expanding Government and Taxes beyond need. After all, it is the Private Sector that produces the Wealth of the Nation and it is Government that Spends the Wealth of a Nation. The only reason for Government to exist is to serve the people....PERIOD!

Hi, Daniel,
This is a provocative thought that you have proffered.
I don't know the answer, but most people would agree that our present system doesn't work well.
What is with the superdelegates? If you think it through it sounds like the decisions are being made by the boys in the back room.
In Nevada the chaos in many of the caucus sites left the results in confusion.
Though I am troubled by the concept, consider this; a person has worked, and by their industry has established themselves as an asset to the community through years of service.
Another person, uneducated, ignorant, and low on the production ladder, has an equal vote.
That doesn't make sense to me.
Not very long ago it became clear to me that our system is broken...

[GabbyJim]

Sadly, the courts have made a couple of decisions that are jack-ass stupid.

First is that politicians don't have to live up to their campaign promisies - not too long ago someone tried to sue a (Utah) politician that made specific promises and then - after winning the election - deliberately and blatantly did the exact opposite of what she promised in order to get elected. The court let her off scott free, clearly saying political promises aren't worth the ink to print them.

In any OTHER part of Americana she'd have been convicted of false advertising and possibly fined and sent to jail - at the very least, the courdt shoud have thrown her out of office.

What gives a politician the right to lie about ANYTHING - let alone to get elected? So, with that in mind, why should we believe ANYTHING a politician says - ANY politician? It is time politicians were held accountable for their promises - especially those that they actually have the power to keep. And, of course, they shouldn't make promises they don't have - or won't have - the power to keep.

Second - the Supreme Court has ruled that the laws against slander and libel don't apply to "public figures" - I wanna know - what is it about getting my name in the paper (or on the "tube") that means I have to lie down and take it when someone lies about me?

Children, can you say, "Activist Judges?" - Can you say, "Liberal Politics?" can you say, "Voter, Get Screwed?"

Goerge Bernard Shaw wrote: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." (The Revolutionists's Handbook, Penguin)

With that as my motto - you may understand why it is that I may seem unreasonable - I want progress - REAL progress, not just lip service - from my political leaders.

[CopyCat]

An old friend of mine knows Obama's territory well. South Chicago's organized crime is funding Obama. What fun it'll be when they're in power.

[Uncle Sam]

Most Americans do things ass backwards. Three people want to be our president and most people are voting for the two worse ones and they are McCain who is another George Vito Bush and Oboma who put it over on them with the words vision and change.McCain will be a bully and make things no better. Already he said things are better now than eight years ago which is telling me he thinks there is nothing wrong.Also he said he would not care if the troops fight the war another hundred years.Oboma is a bull shitter who was smart enough to put it over on the ones who voted for him.Hillary for president if you want change she been there and know the ropes. Remember this is Uncle Sam telling you this.

[Knarf]

Its no wonder that the candidates buy votes, with all that cash floating around, I'd get something for my money too. I've gotten so tired of seeing the same old thing from both parties that I look forward to my own coming demise. I don't think there is one member of congress making less than the average pay scale given to the US worker and to top it off they get free hospitalization. Include all the other perks such as, travel, meals, lodging in Washington, speaking engagements, and other gratuities, you've got one helluva fighting machine. Throw in the retirement before 65 with almost equal pay scale, hospital insurance and countless other retirement perks I get a queasy feeling in my stomach. I figure for each member of congress it takes a staff of 50 or so just to keep them up to date on menus and memos.

They've never had to work a day in their lives and its a joke to see them roll up their sleeves when they give a oratory diatribe about nothing. They fight amongst themselves worse than some of the gangs in LA. Maybe we should give them all guns like they do the citizens in our cities. Hell, if they had to survive 3 months like a human being, maybe then they would understand what is going on in the real world. Its a joke to hear Obama say we're bitter but he could change my attitude tomorrow if I was making a million a year. Hilary says the workers are voting for her and I say, the workers are jaded and really have no one to vote for. How many millionaires currently reside in Washington and work for our government. Remember, if they are working for our government, we're paying their salarys which they can raise at will. They boys on the hill have never voted down a raise. Also, this thing with lifetime jobs for judges. Gimme a break. His job should be performance based and the voters should decide on his/her performance. Excuse me, but will someone vote for me so that I can get on this gravy train?

[Duck 427]

Yes the system is broken.
Is it time for doing awqay with the electorial college?
Maybe a new candidat on all ballots of NOTA (None Of The Above) is in order.
The republican party's first candidate of importance was Abe. His most noted accomplishment was to free the slaves. The party has been working overtime since then to correct that mistake.