It never seemed that the old adage “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” would apply to the issue of campaign finance but, in light of a Supreme Court ruling handed down earlier this year, it does.
Earlier this year, the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee, lifted restrictions that limited the ability of corporations and unions to influence elections. Outside groups are now allowed to spend freely in support or in attacking candidates in elections.
The GOP took advantage of this on an unprecedented level. According to Business Week, the outside groups were outspending Democrats on a level of 7 to 1. This level of cooperation among third parties in this past election cycle proved devastating to Democrats.
Many conservatives will cry foul because, according to Politico, the Democratic candidates did end up outspending and out-fundraising their rivals. However, this cannot last. There is no higher fundraising advantage than a president in the White House, but there will not always be a Democrat in the nation’s highest office.
Whether we like the leader of the free world or not, he does create a commotion whenever he travels and can bring in large donors.
When the Democrats do not have the Oval Office, Republicans will dwarf their cash flow. A GOP president combined with the level of outside spending that conservative advocacy groups provide will decimate any hope of liberals regaining power.
There is still hope for despaired Democrats, though. The Obama administration, which turned down campaign contributions from outside groups in 2008, has decided to give the GOP a taste of its own medicine.
Liberal advocacy groups are making an effort to match their Republican counterparts, according to The New York Times. David Brock, a distinguished liberal operative, has raised $4 million in the last four weeks following the midterm elections that left Democrats coping with devastating losses in both the House of Representatives and Senate. Hoping to establish a permanent liberal support group called American Bridge, his efforts should be welcomed.
Many would say it’s too late, but the purpose of this move is for liberal groups to make a deserved full court press for the 2012 presidential election. A coalition of wealthy liberals has already been forged including Rob McKay, the inheritor of the Taco Bell fortune.
The sad irony is that the Democratic agenda, which typically favors the middle class, has to spend inordinate amounts of money to promote their policies that favor those who aren’t as well off as others. Individuals will not have a voice in the process of campaigning anymore. The $10 and $20 donations that made up a large part of Obama’s 2008 war chest will now be miniscule.
While this is an abhorred policy and will only further entrench the necessity of money in our country, liberals must come to terms with it. If this is the only way to defeat those that advocate for the wealthiest and want to deny tens of millions of Americans health insurance, then so be it.
Eventually something has to give. The populist revolt that sparked the Tea Party movement will only get worse if we keep pandering policies toward the richest few. Given the extremity of the Tea Party movement, a larger backlash would not be pretty.
Andrew can be reached at andrew.hedlund@asu.edu
