Your thoughts on political spending .

[noludoru]

Glad that some agree with me !!! To me there's so much waste !! In my day , you bought a button and that $1 went to the candidate of your choice . Today a Billionaire can give hundreds of thousands for the candidate that will help them fill their pockets . I think that Obama's prime time ad cost him over 3 million . And don't forget , in both cases , when ever a candidate visits an area , that town or city spends thousands for security etc . I loved the old way !! Campaigning from the caboose ! LOL!!!!

Umm... WHAT? In your day they put limits on who could donate how much because of the insane amounts of donations. Some of the fiurst regulations were in the early 1900s, and the real ones that are actually enforced started in the 1970s.

You can research it yourself, but basically no one person can give more than 100k per election cycle. Not 100k per candidate - that's the total amount they can give per election cycle. There are limits on how much you can give to the party, to the candidate, and to political action committees, etc... The "old" way was far more corrupt and TMK required no documentation. Now candidates are required to document anything over $200.

 

[iwantmypup]

I think that if they get donations...they should be able to use that money in the campaign. I do not agree with a spending limit...
I don't see whats wrong with spending a lot if they have the money. Its not Obama's fault that McCain can't make as much. j/k

 

[zoe08]

I know! Campaign money should be taxed. The more you make, the higher the taxes on it you have to pay. LOL

 

[borzoimom]

Tell me about it and by having regulations keeps soemone from buying the presidency... Obama is highly questionable..

 

[sparks19]

No... I don't think there should be mandatory limits. I just think it's a waste.

I like the idea of taxing it though lol

 

[Fran27]

IMO... There should be no campaign. Enough of those commercial nonsenses, where they just put down the other one without bringing anything interesting to the table. Have debates, distribute pamphlets to people with their ideas on different subjects and leave it at that.

It's just such a waste of money...

 

[sparks19]

IMO... There should be no campaign. Enough of those commercial nonsenses, where they just put down the other one without bringing anything interesting to the table. Have debates, distribute pamphlets to people with their ideas on different subjects and leave it at that.

It's just such a waste of money...

if only we lived in a perfect world... that would be so nice wouldn't it lol. No commercials, no phone calls. Can't wait until it's all over for another 4 years

Why do they need so much money to give their ideas. Most newspapers and other media outlets will do a story on them for free

 

[PoodleMommy]

. Its not Obama's fault that McCain can't make as much. j/k

Well its Obamas LIE that led to the huge difference in available money. McCain cant raise anymore money its not that people dont want to donate, he made and kept a promise.

ZOOM's post should be re posted on every page... over and over again... it was brilliant... give everyone the same amount see what they can do with it! I LOVE that idea.

 

[bubbatd]

I agree , and that's my point !!! One should not " buy " to lead a Nation . Especially ours !

 

[Lilavati]

Alas, there is an issue with the First Amendment . . . I'd agree, in principle, that they should just get a set ammount of money . . . but unfortunatley, or fortunately, they, and their supporters, have a right to speak . . . and to speak you must buy the means to speak . . . inlcuding such expensive things as TV times.

 

[Renee750il]

Oh, get a grip . . . McCain's not at a disadvantage monetarily, and the self-righteous bushwa about limiting himself to public funding is just that - bullshit. Sure, what's going out of his own campaign committee's checkbooks is limited, but there's no limit on all the PAC committees that are campaigning and running ads

Something no one's thinking about as far as tracking contributions goes is how easy it is now for one tycoon or corporation or special interest group to spread the wealth by using a pre-loaded credit card. Purchase a Visa card for however much you want to donate and do it anonymously or under someone else's name. No big deal to do at all.

 

[bubbatd]

When YOUR man is ahead Renee , who cares how they get their money !! I'm saying that Obama will win , because of the money backing him . To me it's the little people ....not the big people . !

 

[Renee750il]

You haven't noticed? I'm not FOR either one of these two. Not in the least, and the whining is coming from both sides, just on different subjects. I will say that McCain's adoption of the very same tactics he pissed and moaned (and rightly so) about Shrub using against him eight years ago is one of the more disgusting and egregious displays of hypocrisy I've witnessed in recent years though.

 

[bubbatd]

I'm aware of that .... but one of the two willl get it in . To me voting a third party at this point proves nothing . I rather not vote at all .

 

[sparks19]

I don't care which one of them is getting the money.... at a time like this when they yak about the financial crisis and then they are both blowing millions of dollars like it grows on trees. Doesn't exactly instill much faith (for me) that they are going to help anyone or that they "understand the plight of the little guy". with such free spending now without a second thought... I have a hard time believing it won't spill over into their presidency.

A WASTE... on both sides

 

[Renee750il]

I'm aware of that .... but one of the two willl get it in . To me voting a third party at this point proves nothing . I rather not vote at all .

And that is the reason it won't have an impact. Not enough have the courage of their convictions and are willing to act on them, no matter how futile others try to convince them it is.

That's why we're where we are today. Maybe it's where we deserve to be.

 

[bubbatd]

Thanks Sparks .... a 10 th of their spending would see people like Smkie and me and others being able to put back into the economy and help the economy . I'm so afraid of them feeling that we are losers . We aren't !!! At least the government put me where I am and I am resentful !!! The 70s were so unfair to us as small business owners !

 

[Zoom]

Regardless of the amounts spent, one HUGE thing keeps popping up at me over and over again. I have yet to see an Obama ad aimed at slinging mud and barbs at the McCain camp. Yet every single McCain ad I've seen has been the fear-mongering "HE'S the BAD guy! Vote for me and save a puppy!" type that doesn't actually explain anything about his campaign or stances at all.

I'm with Renee on this. I despise the whole system and while I will vote, because it's my duty and privledge to do so, I'm seriously leaning towards writing in a third party. Maybe it's throwing away a vote, maybe it'll add up enough to make a statement. I've been told that over in England, one even has the option of scribbling out or tearing up a ballot and it's counted as "defaced", which is then counted in it's own right. That makes a statement right there.

 

[ACooper]

Regardless of the amounts spent, one HUGE thing keeps popping up at me over and over again. I have yet to see an Obama ad aimed at slinging mud and barbs at the McCain camp. Yet every single McCain ad I've seen has been the fear-mongering "HE'S the BAD guy! Vote for me and save a puppy!" type that doesn't actually explain anything about his campaign or stances at all.

I'm with Renee on this. I despise the whole system and while I will vote, because it's my duty and privledge to do so, I'm seriously leaning towards writing in a third party. Maybe it's throwing away a vote, maybe it'll add up enough to make a statement. I've been told that over in England, one even has the option of scribbling out or tearing up a ballot and it's counted as "defaced", which is then counted in it's own right. That makes a statement right there.

I know you have said YOU have yet to see anything...........but I am holding an Obama flyer in my hand right now (paid for by the democratic committee & authorized by Obama stamped right on it) that has McCain/Palin's picture on the back talking about them instead of his own issues. It's a nice color HUGE 8x14 one too, LOL

I think it's because Indiana normally votes Republican, but I haven't gotten any McCain stuff left on my porch or in my mail. He must be spending his money elsewhere. And if McCain is focusing on "Call Ads" he's out of luck with me because we don't normally answer 1-800 calls or numbers that don't appear local.............we call back on legit messages so I haven't heard any of his attacking garbage

I don't think voting third party wastes your vote at all. I would consider it a waste to not vote at all, or vote with someone you do not agree with.

 

[Falconara]

I dont know about a limit...I'd have to think on that.

I think whats more important than a limit though is knowing where the money came from.

I am kind of a fan of the English system myself...they can only campaign for a few months and I believe they have a set amount of funds

~Cate