Well, Du-uh... America Now Oligarchy, Not Democracy — Princeton Study

Brendan James at TPM:

A new study from Princeton spells bad news for American democracy—namely, that it no longer exists.

Asking "[w]ho really rules?" researchers Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page argue that over the past few decades America's political system has slowly transformed from a democracy into an oligarchy, where wealthy elites wield most power.

Using data drawn from over 1,800 different policy initiatives from 1981 to 2002, the two conclude that rich, well-connected individuals on the political scene now steer the direction of the country, regardless of or even against the will of the majority of voters.

...

Mr. James appears to be a young man, but damn, he's learning fast...

Lawrence Lessig's Inspiring TED Talk

You can see it over at Kos. Transcript is at the same link. It made even cynical old me feel more optimistic.

(H/T Fallenmonk.)

Billionaires Buy... Bupkis

... and the incomparable Jim Hightower summarizes.

Given the way the GOP has approached literally everything lately, I suspect the message these masters of the universe will take from the drubbing they experienced is "next time, twice as much money."

I'm sure that will help. I'm just not sure if it will help them... or us!

Of Darkness And Karl Rove

Roughly 70% of the known universe is dark energy, and roughly 25% of the universe is dark matter. (Source: NASA.) Only 5% of the universe is stars and their planets, galaxies, nebulae, etc., the familiar things we think of when we think of matter in space. And we don't really know what the dark stuff is, perceptible as it is only through its gravitational effects, though it's fascinating to speculate.

Roughly 81% of dark money in politics in America goes to Republicans. (Source: Sunlight Foundation via TPM.) Only 19% of dark political money goes to Democrats. And we don't really know where the dark money comes from, though it's gut-wrenching to speculate.

I'd hate to think we will be forced to buy our democracy back. But that sure as fuck is what it looks like to me. That, or something even more costly...

Paul Ryan's Speech: In The Words Of Paul Simon, 'Lie-Lie-Lie, Lie-Lie-Lie-Lie, Lie-Lie-Lie...'

The speech was too disgusting to repeat anything, but it was raw meat for the Thug base. Brian Beutler of TPM emphasizes five lies... out-and-out lies, not mere distortions... but I believe there were many more. With what the GOP is spending, this guy could become vice president.

AFTERTHOUGHT: Ryan even blamed Obama for the closing of a Wisconsin auto plant in 2008... a plant that closed before Obama took office. Truth doesn't matter. Fair competition in the marketplace of ideas doesn't matter. Only winning... by any means... matters to bastards like Ryan.

Disgusting, repulsive, thoroughly... Republican. I am going to bed.

Some Help From The Dem Party... Or No Help From Me

Want My Money?
Move Left, Kick Right!

I was just reading a post on BooMan's site, The Dean Dozen, about the twelve Democratic candidates Democracy For America chooses by member poll and on which DFA focuses its fundraising efforts. The first six candidates have been announced; please follow the link to read the list on BooMan's site. Among the candidates I know anything about, BooMan is rightly enthusiastic. It's a good list.

It's also a manifestation of the attitude of the institutional Democratic Party toward candidates in states it doesn't typically win in these sorry times. The list includes candidates from Hawaii, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, California, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania... six states that face much smaller obstacles to fundraising for, and electing, Democratic candidates than, say, the entire South and much of the Southwest, including Texas.

There is real irony here. The DP ignored Texas for years, just wrote it off, wouldn't help its candidates. Paul Kirk, as DNC chair, nixed a convention in Houston, such was his spite toward us. Howard Dean was, IIRC, the first DNC chair to advocate the all-50-states strategy for the party. That didn't last long, and we're back to watching the DP back candidates that are easy and fun to back because they face fewer obstacles.

That's well and good. But until the DNC, DCCC and DSCC put some muscle and some bucks into my neck of the woods, they will get none of my money. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. Just call me a man without a party.

'Money Money Money Mo-ney... MO-ney...'

There has been a change in direction in political campaigns in America.

They used to ask for my vote. They used to ask me to sign petitions, write letters or make phone calls.

All that is history.

In my mailbox today, roughly 80% of the political mailers were requests for money. That is what I am least able to give them. Like most elderly people in America (I suspect), I have enough to live on, but not a lot to spare. At one point, politicians still wanted my vote and my visible support. But since Citizens United, all they want, or at least all they ask for, is my money.

The tragedy is that they are probably right. For some time, even before Citizens United, elections have gone to the candidate with the biggest campaign war chest, usually the incumbent. Now, that candidate is not so likely the incumbent, as likely the Republican.

As remarked in my banner quote by Justice Louis Brandeis, "We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." The upward redistribution of wealth in America is not merely inequitable, not merely hard on people of moderate or modest means: it is inimical to democracy itself. Today, if you are unable to vote with your checkbook, effectively, you are unable to vote at all. It's all... ALL.. about the money.

Where do you think this phenomenon will lead us? Yes, that's what I think, too, damn it all. Orwell was off by less than three decades.

Walker's Wisconsin: Why? - UPDATED

Andy Kroll at MichaelMoore.com offers a long piece contemplating the course of the protest movement, its ultimate effective absorption and co-opting by the traditional Democratic Party, and its downfall in the recall election. This thought-provoking piece gave me much to think about. A couple of my conclusions:

• Traditional establishment Democratic Party candidates do not provide adequate motivation to voters to swing the small undecided vote;
• The Democratic Party, intent on playing elections by the methods they've used for years, are lamentably vulnerable to the overwhelming Republican money advantages brought about in part by Citizens United.

We are all still learning how politics can and cannot work in this brave new world (and I'm using the phrase in the sense of Aldous Huxley, not William Shakespeare). I hope our lefty learning curve improves quickly.

UPDATE: David Dayen of FDL offers an insightful post-mortem. Good comments, too.

UPDATE: Rick Perlstein at Rolling Stone talks about How How Republicans Cheat Democrats - and Democrats Cheat Themselves. Right on target!