The Corporations Won the Election

[Nancy Waterman]

It is time to frame the midterm the way it should be framed. I am tired of hearing what a "failure" our president is. He has done a herculean task in a very difficult situation and actually accomplished a great deal, despite Republican obstructionism. I think the election results were more about all the money the corporations put into the election so that their favored policies would get pushed by their GOP stooges. The truth is that the corporations won the election, not the Tea Party or the Republicans. The corporations won and the American people lost. Let us call it what it is.

[Tippy]

1. K&R,,,,True

[polichick]

2. Actually, the corporations have been winning all the elections for decades. nt

[ProSense]

3. Republicans played up the win as the "American people have spoken" and

the first thing they did in terms of Wall Street reform, the most popular legislative achievement, is to attack the consumer bureau and Elizabeth Warren.

[Imajika]

4. Unfortunately, while the GOP got a huge boost...

..from outside interest groups (corporations), the Democrats had no shortage of money and may have actually spent more when you factor in the massive amounts of cash unions poured into the election on our behalf.

Did the corporations win? Yup. But we also lost plain and simple.

[Nancy Waterman]

5. It is all in the framing

Of course, we lost. But how much better to frame it as "the corporations won" then to tie ourselves and our president to "failure".
We must begin to control the narrative on everything that happens.

[Imajika]

7. Okay, I'm with you on that...

For media and PR purposes I am fine saying "the corporations won". What your saying is true, the corporations most certainly did win.

But for purposes of figuring out how to win elections going forward, we most certainly were not at a money disadvantage in 2010. When you add it all up, more was probably spent on behalf of Democrats than on Republicans.

[Nancy Waterman]

8. I had heard they outspent us by 2 to 1

Thanks to Karl Rove's American Crossroads and the US Chamber of Commerce.
In Russ Feingold's election it was 4 to 1.

[Imajika]

9. You heard wrong...

American Crossroads and the US Chamber made them competitive, but when you factor in the amount of money the party's and candidates raised (Democrats raised far more) and then factor how much Unions spent on our behalf you will find it was an even playing field - with probably more money overall spent on behalf of Democratic candidates.

Basically, Rove and the Chamber made up for the woeful failures of the various Republican Party fundraising committees.

[Peacetrain]

6. Yes they have.. not doubt about it

[derby378]

10. Part of the problem is that Obama accomplished some things we never wanted in the first place

I've heard the Republicans called "the Party of No" and the Democrats called "the Party of I Can't Hear You!" in the recent past. Not to mention that our job market is still in the toilet, even in states where there are a few companies hiring.

[golfguru]

11. The corporations most certainly won on the HCR bill

The bill guarantees them 20 to 40 million NEW paying customers who are
currently uninsured via government subsidies or mandates.

And there are zero restrictions on how high they can raise our premiums.
Surely then can't drop or refuse anyone, but the added cost of that will
be passed on to us until their profit objectives are met.

The bill requires the private insurers to spend 80% of premium revenue on
actual delivery of medical services. So....they just jack up the premiums
until that 20% meets their profit goals.