Our friend Gene Nichol at UNC Law School has an op-ed column in today’s News & Observer that not only says democracy is under attack by the money-is-speech ideologues on the US Supreme Court; his words (contrary to his everyday deeds) could even lead you to think it’s time to declare total defeat. Indeed, there is a war going on and it can be framed in many ways. In his opposition to the binge tax giveaways for the super-rich, US Senator Bernie Sanders eloquently describes the assault by mega-millionaires on the working and middle class, common-sense regulations, democracy, and the future of America. His must-see speech parallels Nichol’s description of the Supreme Court majority’s determination to “constitutionalize economic privilege.” But “the war” is not over and this is no time to call it quits. Nichol is right, for example, to say the Supremes will likely gut the rescue funds provision in North Carolina’s public campaign financing programs; that provision helps a publicly financed candidate with an extra boost of matching public funds if the opposition’s spending exceeds a certain amount. But even without that provision, public campaign financing can survive in a new form that still provides qualifying candidates with the funds needed to wage a competitive campaign. Existing programs in New York City and elsewhere and the federal Fair Elections Now Act do this by offering extra funds that match the small donations raised by qualifying candidates rather than the money spent by the opposition. So voter-owned public financing is not dead, and neither is the larger effort, now centuries old, to make real the promise of democracy for a progressive society. It’s okay to feel frustrated and beleaguered, and also good to be armed with analysis and vision, because the battles ahead are many.
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The rich and the powerful purchase their power over government by paying for the campaigns. For democracy, this is a fight to the death, which is why entering a dispute over the influence of big money should not turn on calculating the odds. President Obama said his tax bill “compromise” was the best deal we could get, and he was right within the limited logic he applied. But we will never prevail over the propaganda that passes for news and commentary coming from today’s perverse and corrupted media without engaging the other side actively. If these fights help people to realize just what ships are sunk in the battle and why, then the effort and losses will be investments toward victory. Whether over taxes or campaign finance, people need to be reminded, vividly and repeatedly, when their ships are being sunk, and why.
Unfortunately, Leo, the major hurdle is to get the masses even interested in preserving our so-called democracy. This is tough because most folks don’t take time to read, and don’t have time to protest either. It’s easy to rule as the 1-2% well know. But we could revamp if somebody can figure out how to best get the news of this mess to the people. We could try some sort of funded marketing campaign of sorts if traditional news flows aren’t possible. I won’t give up yet. If I do; then, it’s time to move out of the country to a place that’s still clinging to democratic values. Can you name some?
First of all, it won’t be done primarily by reading and writing; we need credible, persuasive people being seen and heard on television. The proven tactics used by the right can be applied to any cause. A combination of facts, logic, examples, testimony, and lots of ridicule, all relating emotionally to the real lives of the many victims of the system. Media Matters takes up the cudgels every day in print, and I believe they do something in video. If we could just bring the Democratic Party out of its coma, it might start to serve a useful purpose again. The right has made most of its progress because the left has been so clumsy and compliant, not because it makes good arguments. One thing is becoming clear to me — Obama is not and never has been up to the task. People don’t respect a dog that is all bark and no bite.