Granny D Is OK With Obama Opting Out of Public Financing
Dear All,
Everyone I know seems quite upset that Mr. Obama has said that he will opt out of the public financing system. I have been a big fan of campaign finance reform in general and public campaign funds in particular. Indeed, I have put quite a few miles on my shoes to promote such reforms.
But the point of using public money to finance campaigns is to get the fat cats out of the system so that regular citizens might again be heard. Mr. Obama's creative use of the Internet to raise small donations from a million and a half people essentially achieves the same result: Regular people are again being heard over the shrill and selfish voices of the fat cats. Young people and new voters, long so cynical, now feel they have a role in our democracy. You can chase away a fat cat with any dog you please, so let's not be upset that he is using a dog we did not expect. The fat cats are on the run, and that is what counts.
So, yes, I am fine with what he is doing. If Mr. McCain will get a million or so small donors, and if he will just say no to fat cat money and lobbyist-bundled money, then I will say good for him, too.
Mr. Obama has reformed and changed the system in his own way. He has used the social networking aspects of the Internet to get around the problem of fat cats. He owes some thanks to the old Dean campaign as devised by Joe Trippi, as I'm sure he knows.
There are no permanent problems or solutions in our politics. But for now, I like the looks of Mr. Obama's small donor miracle.
Very sincerely,
Doris "Granny D" Haddock
Dublin, New Hampshire
(603) 563-8086
Everyone I know seems quite upset that Mr. Obama has said that he will opt out of the public financing system. I have been a big fan of campaign finance reform in general and public campaign funds in particular. Indeed, I have put quite a few miles on my shoes to promote such reforms.
But the point of using public money to finance campaigns is to get the fat cats out of the system so that regular citizens might again be heard. Mr. Obama's creative use of the Internet to raise small donations from a million and a half people essentially achieves the same result: Regular people are again being heard over the shrill and selfish voices of the fat cats. Young people and new voters, long so cynical, now feel they have a role in our democracy. You can chase away a fat cat with any dog you please, so let's not be upset that he is using a dog we did not expect. The fat cats are on the run, and that is what counts.
So, yes, I am fine with what he is doing. If Mr. McCain will get a million or so small donors, and if he will just say no to fat cat money and lobbyist-bundled money, then I will say good for him, too.
Mr. Obama has reformed and changed the system in his own way. He has used the social networking aspects of the Internet to get around the problem of fat cats. He owes some thanks to the old Dean campaign as devised by Joe Trippi, as I'm sure he knows.
There are no permanent problems or solutions in our politics. But for now, I like the looks of Mr. Obama's small donor miracle.
Very sincerely,
Doris "Granny D" Haddock
Dublin, New Hampshire
(603) 563-8086
posted by hellisotherpeople at 12:04 PM
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