Americans will look back one bright blue day and say, "I can't believe we used to let money control our elections and politicians!" As is, the corruption continues because:

1. the politicians in office won the money game and won't bite the hand that feeds them.

2. mainstream media won't call it out. They sell ad airtime to big spenders--us, trying to compete with big biz money.

3. too many of us accept the misconception that the interests of big biz and us are compatible. Because we have a shot to move from the have-not column to the have-more-than-I'd-ever-need column, it's all good.

Even those knowing, willing, and able to fight for what society really needs, too often take their eye off the prize -- to recognize, what in mathematical terms, is called -- THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS:

The horse that is needed to carry all the other needs in the cart is ELECTION REFORM -- public financing, increased voting opportunities, secure verifiable voting, etc..	It doesn't matter which candidates or what legislation the public piles into the cart because there is nothing to carry it over the money barriers.	Big Business money power fuels elections and re-elections. It buys the politicians and legislation they want. We're left holding the empty bag.	The result is the economy we have today. Big Biz profits and the deficit are at an all-time high, real wages are at an all-time low, and public services are being cut.

Not fixing the election system
and trying to get what you want out of government
is like PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE!

A great example of the cart before the horse was the healthcare insurance reform that became Obama-Care. Because we didn't enact ELECTION REFORM first, the healthcare reform ended up being as much reform as the health insurance industry WOULD ALLOW. They basically wrote the Bill. WE didn't have the political power to pass universal healthcare like every other developed nation.

Until then, it doesn't really matter who is elected. Big donors contribute to both Party's campaigns to hedge their bets so they will control either candidate once they're in office.

Meanwhile the Left & Right voters, in the 99%, keep trying to out-contribute each other during each election for the privilege of getting trumped by the 1% when it's time to pass a Bill. Don't forget, the 1% has almost as much money as the majority of the rest of American's combined. They've always got more to spend, and their campaign contributions always pay off well in regards to what their BRIBES eventually do for their bottom line.

As for eventually reversing the ruling which allowed for unlimited big donor campaign contributions? It's not enough. That just gets us back to the money corruption level we where at before.

• The level of money corruption after Citizen's United became law: OVERPOWERING!

• The level of money corruption before Citizen's United became law: OVERPOWERING!
  

We need a campaign to make Election Day a national holiday.

To get money out of elections we first need to get more people in. As is, the average working person has to find time during the workday or stand in long lines after work. Mail-in voting helps, but not enough. On average, less than half of eligible voters voted in Federal elections over the past 50 years.

Do you think George Washington and Abe Lincoln would prefer we honor them with a day off on their birthday or with a day off to ensure that all Americans can exercise the democracy they worked so hard to build? Likewise, which day off do you believe Martin Luther King would advocate to more fully realize his dream? Or, which of his holidays do you think Jesus would gladly trade to allow the meek amongst us a better opportunity to be counted? And, which day do you think would be more significant to how we ring in the new year -- a holiday on Jan. 1st or Nov. 11th?

There are many reforms that our country needs to get better. But before the work can begin, we really need a day off!

WHY DO REPUBLICANS WORK SO HARD TO REPRESS VOTING?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E67f9VwGo/

It's esp., been true since the early 1970s, when the SC began ruling that campaign money was protected speech, and therefore couldn't be limited or regulated. This was long before their Citizen's United decision, which was more of a final nail in the coffin. It's really interesting to me, that the corporate media will occasionally mention how high our rate of non voting is in elections, compared to other developed democracies. But at the same time, the corporate media never does any studies, research, or analysis of why that is, esp. when it comes to asking registered voters why they don't vote. My take is that those voters see no real diff between the two major parties, esp. on economic issues and policy, and that's why they don't bother voting, esp. in fed elections. But the corporate media doesn't want to admit that, much less let those voters ever know about any third party or independent candidates, that offer a real option for voting outside the duopoly, and someone who isn't bought, because those parties and candidates don't have the money to buy ads in the corporate media, so the corporate media protects their big money clients, the major parties. And so it goes, on and on...

On 11/15/2025 at 2:34 PM, BobDylan said:

. . . But at the same time, the corporate media never does any studies, research, or analysis of why that is, esp. when it comes to asking registered voters why they don't vote. My take is that those voters see no real diff between the two major parties, esp. on economic issues and policy, and that's why they don't bother voting, esp. in fed elections. But the corporate media doesn't want to admit that, much less let those voters ever know about any third party or independent candidates, that offer a real option for voting outside the duopoly, and someone who isn't bought, because those parties and candidates don't have the money to buy ads in the corporate media, so the corporate media protects their big money clients, the major parties . . .

BobDylan,

Have you ever encountered an American who doesn't vote? If you have, did you ask him/her "Why not?" If you did, what was his/her answer and did you try to convince him/her to change his/her mind?

I have/had family members who don't/didn't vote. The living nonvoter believes "It just doesn't matter." The dead nonvoter (my mother) became disillusioned after her choice for President of the United States in 1952 and 1956, Adlai Stevenson II, lost both times to Dwight D. Eisenhower. She felt that her vote didn't matter and felt alienated by American government. My debates and arguments with her to change her mind became a waste of my time and energy. After experiencing my own frustration with, and disappointment in, the American electoral system (to date, the only presidential candidate I voted for who won was Jimmy Carter), I am steadily becoming My Mother's Son.

I'm retired, so every day is a holiday for me. But, when I was running in "the rat race," I was all for more holidays -- like, April Fool's Day (my choice for "Election Day"), Arbor Day, Columbus Day, Flag Day, Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day, Veteran's Day . . . Macy's White Sale Days.

Actually, to me, the obvious "Election Day" holiday would be July 4. But, I think it would be nigh impossible to get Americans to forego their Fourth of July barbecues and picnics and instead stand in voting lines.

According to info on the Web, the first United States presidential election was held on February 4, 1789. Perhaps that should be "Election Day."

Yes, macphysto, I've encountered many admitted non voters over the years, and their answers always boil down to saying voting doesn't really matter, because it either doesn't change anything or that the major parties are too much the same, for it to make any difference. I still vote, even if every general election vote for statewide or federal elections always turns out to be a vote for the lesser evil, or even a vote that won't matter, since I live in a red state, where voting blue is itself a wasted vote most of the time in statewide or fed elections. But I always vote in the primaries, because that is where my vote usually matters the most and where I can actually vote for my hopes, and for someone I actually support, rather than just a lesser evil..