Joe Average American won't care much about the SC decision

[tularetom]

I went to the eye doc today for a follow up on some recent surgery. In the waiting room I struck up a conversation with a nice, well spoken couple who were there for the same purpose. When I commented on the court's action, neither one appeared very surprised that corporations could now, in essence, purchase the politicians who would do their bidding. At first I wondered why, but then it struck me - these people think that corporations can ALREADY do that, and that they have been doing so for years, that all politicians are on the corporate take anyway, and worse yet, that there ain't a fuckin thing they can do about it.

So, they reason, why should anybody get excited about it?

[gratuitous]

1. You're right

But I'll bet some folks notice the difference in about six months.

[w4rma]

2. Those same people shouldn't like that this ruling made it easier for multi-national interests to buy

politicians.

[Old and In the Way]

20. 2nd Largest investor in NewsCorp is Kingdom Holdings

I'm betting precious few of the Fox News fans are aware that Saudi Arabia is shaping their political opinions. Probably a good strategic investment on their part, but not such a good deal for our democracy. Did Fox News even bother to cover the Supreme Courts decision and implications? Somehow, I doubt it. Rupert's going to get a whole lot richer as Free Speech gets rammed up our backsides.

[defendandprotect]

3. And they're actually right --

[TxRider]

4. Why do you think half the people don't bother to vote?

Maybe if this makes things bad enough they will all get off their arses.

[RagAss]

15. Vote for what.?...A Dem President and 60 Senators?...how did that work out?

[many a good man]

5. They ought to pass a law restricting it

Oh wait, they can't. It would just be ruled unconstitutional. :banghead:

[KittyWampus]

6. I was going to be snarky and say the average American probably doesn't even know who or what

the Supreme Court is...

[ibegurpard]

7. they will if it's framed right

you think the public really wants the same corporations that just got handed all that taxpayer money using it to buy EVEN MORE political influence?

[gateley]

13. I think that's key -- framing it right. Although the Right (Boehner) is already

framing it as a great protection for our First Amendment, and the Freeps have of course bought into that already.

[Solly Mack]

8. K&R

Yep

[timeforpeace]

9. Certainly isn't the hill to die on. Nobody will even notice.

[Binka]

25. Nobody will ever notice

You wish. We wish otherwise.

[Jennicut]

10. They will notice during the midterms and the 2012 election.

Alot more horrible election ads on tv will force them to notice.

[Hugabear]

11. But the mere possibility of Obama pre-empting the "Lost" premiere gets them outraged

Priorities!

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. That is where sadly education comes in

as well as recognizing that the average murican cares about STUFF.

[ElboRuum]

14. No one should care.

The SCOTUS decision merely reaffirms what we've already known for years. It's nothing to buy and sell political favor in this country. Christ, what the fuck is it that we all think we've been fighting against this whole time?

[tonysam]

16. Not really. This is Bush v. Gore II.

This is about keeping Republicans in power permanently. Don't fall for the Naderite silliness about the two parties being the same.

[Old and In the Way]

21. I see more in common between Nader and Republican voters.

Both believe in political fairy tales.

[ElboRuum]

27. Not at all what I mean.

What I mean is to say that it is obvious that over the past half-century and more that regardless of what regulations are put in place to prevent corporate money influence in the electoral and legislative processes, it is clear that influence has been gained and is gained by people with enough money and will to attain it. Oh sure, they may defer their direct involvement through other parties, but that influence is there and it's there for the high bidders. The only thing that the SCOTUS really did is pave a way for corporations to cut out the middleman.

But it will be more of the same. And it will cross party lines.

Nader? Please, it doesn't take having around a political gadfly and shameless self-promoter like Nader to see that within the past 30 years there has been a convergence of purpose in both parties to one specific goal, the acquisition of electoral clout and the maintenance and furtherance of it through any means necessary.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

17. Joe will not even remember it happened

if fox doesn't harp about it and it's not on my beer can how would I even know it happened
and if I here about it I'll blame the liberal activist judges.

[Old and In the Way]

22. Like a frog in a pot of water.

Just keep turning up the heat gradually and he's none the wiser..until it's too late.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. I don't know about that.

It was the lead story on our local news tonight, and both Democratic and Republican state representatives were pretty unhappy about it. There will be a follow-up story tonight on the 10 p.m. news.

People are pissed off. I don't think they're in the mood for MORE political influence by big money.

[wiggs]

19. Joe average American doesn't know about it. Fox not saying anything about it. nt

[Jax]

23. you you you

who cares right wing posts tularetom.

[MilesColtrane]

24. That's precisely why the idea of a Constitutional amendment is a long shot at best.

I'm afraid that we'll have to wait for Bush/Reagan Supreme Court appointees to start jonesing for the payday of returning to the private sector before we can get a reasonable balance to overturn this.

[fujiyama]

26. The decision

almost states the obvious. It's what we've know already but didn't want to tell ourselves. Or maybe what I didn't want to tell myself. I figured "DC isn't that far gone is it?".

Yes it is. I think it's the equivalent of being told there's no Santa Claus, as your getting older. You start suspecting it when you see the same wrapping paper lying around the house as the gifts were brought in...know you can't believe it but don't want to face the fact. Fantasies can be fun. I miss being a kid...and believing things like "we're a democratic society" and "our government is accountable to people".

[amborin]

28. many people feel the same way K&R