Desiring Machine

Money
That’s what I’m here for
It’s about money
Or didn’t you know
To make some money hand over fist,
First you give me some of that, and then I’ll give you some of this
I need your money, that’s what I’m here for
It’s about money
or didn’t you know
To make some money don’t throw me no fits
I don’t give four five three or two shits about your problems.
That’s not what I’m here for
They are your problems
or didn’t you know
Money
About Money
It’s Money
My Money
Or didn’t you know
~ Gordon Gano [From the album Hitting the Ground]

Prescient words.

I am very dismayed by Barrack Obama’s decision to reject public financing and therefore the spending caps that it imposes. He seems to be betting that people won’t care. But if his candidacy is really all about the change that he professes then this is a major step backwards. He is basically endorsing unlimited spending for political campaigns and that the principles don’t apply to him. I know many will point out that hey he gets all his money from individual internet donations. Small donors, big donors the effect is the same. With all the campaign cash floating out there it promotes the beast of media time for hire and a leaching permanent campaign manager class. Both negative trends in politics. First, the point about media. The public owns the airwaves so why should our politicians have to spend oodles of money just to get their message on TV? The airwaves need to be taken back during the political season and plenty of free time offered for all the candidates. And run over American Idol and the Super Bowl if you have to. More debates, and more public forums, more C-Span. Not stupid 30 second spots and cutaways to stump speeches. Second, I worry about the entrenchment of a campaign advisory class. Their interests are towards permanent campaigning, not effective governance while in office. So they inexorably lead to culture of permanent campaigning. Mark Penn, Joe Trippi, it doesn’t matter. They all belly up at the trough of lavish campaigns coffers. And why should I as an ordinary citizen fund that? The only way to curb this trend is to diminish the amount of money that actually gets spent in campaigns. And that is what publicly financed campaigns would do.

On the 527s, big deal. I know they are harsh and vicious, but it is speech. Obama says he needs to build up the coffers to take this on directly. Bad idea. Why not focus on McCain directly? Don’t take your battle to the thousand gnats. Let the grassroots handle that. And if a problem shows up then make the opposing candidate accountable for it. Make them reject it in a public forum. But really this urge to take on all the 527s seems to be hubris and the folly of consolidating power under a single individual or campaign. People on the ground have a lot of different opinions. And besides why should all my political donation effort money go to a single campaign structure. Spread the wealth a little bit perhaps. Because when “donation fatigue” sets in it is not the big guys that get hurt it is the smaller more specialized organizations that get hurt. More diversity more groups, more interests that is what democracy is all about. Not a mondo efficient internet based money operation run by a single man.

I have yet to make a political contribution this year. And if Obama thinks that he can just gleefully forgo public financing then I have another reason to avoid donating any money to his campaign. It has so far been mostly about a lack of money that has kept me from donating, I have tried to give time helping out with the occasional website or two to a local candidate. But now I have another more principled reason. I stand with Feingold and McCain on this particular issue. Just makes me wish I had campaigned a little hard for Edwards.

With all that being said, from a Game Theory perspective I can totally sympathize with Obama’s position. It is just disappointing to seem him be the first defector.