The Destruction Wrought By Campaign Finance “Reform”

by Dean Esmay

Quoted from the Wall Street Journal:

If you don’t like how this looks, send your complaints to the three candidates. They were all proponents of fund-raising rules sold as a way to “cleanse” the system. Send your complaints as well to the good-government types who pledge allegiance to the idea that money is the root of political evil. They have had their way since the Watergate era, passing reform after reform.

Yet in 2008 the role of money is more important than ever, only by means less accountable and transparent. To run for President nowadays means devoting a large share of your time to creating a fund-raising “machine.” Scores of good potential candidates won’t run because they can’t stomach the endless wheedling required to raise campaign cash in $2,300

Yep. The result of all the “reforms” has only resulted in campaign financing being more confusing, more obscure and twisted, and more in control of the extremely wealthy. Each “reform” has only made things worse. McCain deserves plenty of kicking around for that, but the fact that both Democrats voted for the latest series of 1st amendment-trashing laws means they’re not off the hook either.

(You can read the rest of the Wall Street Journal article here, by the way.)

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