The change won't be cataclysmic.

[Stinky The Clown]

It will be much more like boiling the frog by starting in a pot of cool water.

Make no mistake. If this Supreme ruling stays, it is simply a matter of time.

[Bragi]

1. I think you are correct, here'd be my game plan

If I was managing the corporations' campaign on this, I'd say do everything right now to chill things out. I'd get my Repug supporters to pretend the ruling is not all that important, it changes little, etc., everyone calm down.

I'd then make a modest list of democrats whose opponents I would flood with money as mid-term targets in November, knocking off enough democrats to kill any remaining Democratic influence in Congress.

Then I'd pull out all the stops and start sending vast sums of money to Repugs far and wide for the 2012 Presidential election year, so the Repugs could reclaim the White House and Congress.

Then I'd close in for the final kill of anything left standing that resembles democratic opposition to what corporations want done.

[lynne]

2. Flood with money? The ruling does not change the restrictions on corporate funds donated -

- direct to campaign treasuries, it only changes the restrictions on spending by a corporation or group towards media on behalf of or against a candidate. A corporation can now publish an ad, write a book, distribute a movie on behalf of their candidate during a campaign. See this page for details of ruling > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/21/AR2010012102477.html?hpid=topnews

[FreakinDJ]

3. How is that not a "Game Changer"

For that fact they won't even need to spend money Lobbying lawmakers. They can just publish and produce propaganda limitlessly.

[Bragi]

4. The distinction is merely technical

While a corporation still cannot give unlimited sums directly to a campaign, they can now spend unlimited sums on media buys to support a candidate, thereby freeing up the campaign to use campaign funds for activities other than advertising.

This is a game-changer. Because of this, if I was working for the corps, I'd be talking up how the ruling doesn't change much.

(To be clear, I'm not saying you are working for corporations, I'm just saying I think you have the wrong take on this if you think this change is not meaningful.)

[lynne]

7. Just pointing out what the actual ruling states -

- and, for me, it's just another layer of crap to wade through and discard come campaign time. The only difference is this new layer of crap comes from corporations and unions instead of PAC's and the candidates themselves. I don't see it as a game changer. I see it more as a nuisance.

Few people will attend a movie that goes against their core values by promoting a candidate they disagree with or being negative towards a candidate that they like. Same goes for buying/reading books. And when a book or movie is politically motivated, the word gets out FAST. Hardly anyone even sees direct mail literature anymore, it goes direct to the trash can. Ad's on the internet are x'd out as soon as they pop up without any regard as to what they're about. Newspapers are dying as we type and those still reading them in lieu of getting their info online read their specific areas of the newspaper and aren't going to be reading long advertising missives by Smith and Wesson. Voters are hit with so much crap come election time that we're immune to a huge portion of it.

There seems to be a feeling that this ruling benefits the right only and I don't see it that way. I think it could benefit the left as well as there are certainly Blue corporations out there as well as unions that champion our causes. We need to make sure that we're smart enough to take advantage of the ruling by utilizing it instead of just complaining about it.

As far as me working for a corporation, I was laid off from a job I had for over 25 years just two weeks ago. I've got plenty of time to let this crap roll around in my head right now and - the way I see it - this ruling is only a game changer if we allow it to be.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. No way would I ignore the Democrats.

Make things look as they always have. It is simply a matter of choosing the *right* Democrats.

[Lesleymo]

6. I'm so discouraged by this

I want to run away. I can't believe what scant media coverage there has been so far. Savannah Guthrie and Whats His Name spent about 30 seconds on it this morning. I can understand the right wing playing it down, though. They've got that pot of cool water simmering, while the frogs are wondering, "Duh, hey, what's the water for?"