After SPIN! Video: Do donations to politicians affect how they vote?
Published June 22, 2016
After SPIN! "Question to John Hood – You wrote a column saying that contrary to popular belief donations to politicians doesn’t affect how they vote on issues. Tell us more about why you say this is the case."
June 22, 2016 at 10:48 am
Richard L Bunce says:
I had a good laugh this am... CNN anchors, who always claim campaign donations buy elected officials votes, were insisting that foreign donations to Clinton Foundation did not influence Secretary of State Clinton's decisions.
June 22, 2016 at 7:02 pm
Tad Richard says:
Lobbyists, corporations, and PACS don't buy individual votes, they pour funds into campaigning for the candidates they know are already predisposed to vote in support of their positions. It's not as blatantly fraudulent as a direct bribe, but it results in the same outcome nonetheless.
Even more insidious is that money buys access to candidates and in-office politicians alike. Money opens the doors to present your position. Yes, after hearing your pitch, the politician may decide to support you or not. But without the contribution that opens the office doors, oftentimes he won't even hear you.
June 23, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Richard L Bunce says:
Voters are free to elect a candidate whose time is not subject to campaign donations received or even vote for the candidate that raises no money at all. The problem is not the donor or the recipient, it is the voters... and until that changes, nothing will matter.
