Campaigns and Elections Money Is Speech: Individuals and Organizations Have a Right to Unlimited Spending in Elections

“Campaigns and Elections” Money is Speech: Individuals and Organizations Have A Right To Unlimited Spending In Elections

When this awful midterm election is over, campaign finance reform must be a high priority. Unlimited contributions to and spending by super PACs and other groups must end. At the very least, the public has a right to know the identity of all individuals or organizations that are spending huge amounts of money to influence election outcomes. The duopoly candidates don't have any messages anyway, except for more war, more prison labor, and more militarized police. Evil-free election, with no corporate or super-Pac money. I think there should be a residency requirement for political speech. If you don't live in the district in question your opinion is worthless. For a corporate person your residence is where you are incorporated or else where your headquarters is. If voters are unwilling to do the work, we won't have a democracy.

I believe we should be ashamed of ourselves. It's like UK voters who voted for Brexit without learning of consequences. They have these issues in smaller democracies in western and northern Europe, but to a lesser degree. Since American history in 1964, this country has gotten too big. I don't believe in negative attacks, commercials and/or tactics. They're a big turn off. These "outside groups" are like gangsters who are forcing their agenda on us. The biggest bullies are the "biggest fish" and they're stinkers. Where ever they go, they pollute! It should be illegal for any group not headquartered in or doing more than 75% of its business within a State to contribute funds to any election or campaign within a State. No outside groups or individual owned franchise operations.

Curbing spending is not going to bring about accountability. There needs to be some liability associated with political ads. Voting is supposed to be a right we hold dear, yet we do nothing to protect it from abuses. In my opinion just get rid of elections. Democracy is failing us. The problem is that negative ads and attacks have been proven to be very effective. It not only says much about our system, it speaks volumes about the voters of this country. The less informed they are, the more passionate they seem to be. Anonymous "free speech" which stretches the truth or is factually incorrect should be disregarded as tabloid nonsense and has no place in an advancing society. All free speech in a political context should be attributable to an individual. In Florida, Ron DeSantis and the GOP PACs are airing the worst ads with total untruths about Mayor Andrew Gulliam.

If the aims of those dark money interests were above board, they shouldn't need to hide their identity. We cannot keep a representative democracy with the influence of these groups overriding the will of 'we the people'. I think that if all the money spent buying influence was instead tax revenue, this country would be in pretty good shape. Mandatory public campaign finance would be a good star. Equal air time for opposing views would be another. Unfortunately, the people who own the government refuse to allow these changes.

According to Wertheimer, “Negative attacks ads breed skepticism, cynicism and anger