Guest Author
Many Americans will spend October stoking fear and building tension, with no shortage of bloodcurdling screams. Then there’s Halloween.
Over a two-year period, more than $9 billion will be spent on Election 2022. Money will be thrown at Americans to get them to choose between political candidates and parties, just like it will be spent on Marvel costumes, candy corn, and the rest. Between the Midterm Elections and Halloween celebrations, U.S. spending will total upward of $20 billion, dominating public discourse.
While Halloween spending is driven by market demand and impervious to criticism (as it should be), election-related spending drives some people crazy. Spending money to promote your ideas is far scarier than Halloween to those whose ideas your particular spending may oppose.
Campaign finance “reform” is now a top priority of the Democratic Party, with End Citizens United spokesperson Adam Bozzi claiming “it’s both good policy and good politics.” (Side note: End Citizens United, as a nonprofit organization, does not disclose its own donors.)
The Left’s insistence on shutting down free speech and free association is strangely obsessive when it comes to politics. It seems like only speech and association that has to do with the electoral system and the democratic process are worth condemning, despite the fact that they form the very foundations of our democracy.
What is democracy but your freedom to organize and communicate on behalf of your ideas? And yes, meaningful communication requires spending money — something Democrats have no problem with, so long as their ideas are being communicated.
But, as long as you’re not spending money on politics, it’s quite all right. And, yes, a Marvel Halloween is quite all right. Consumerism is a good thing, just like money in politics is a good thing. In fact, American politics needs more money in it, not less, because political spending is associated with the free flow of ideas. It is a reflection of public discourse in the idea marketplace, with the most popular ones (like Marvel) dominating the discourse while the least popular ones (sorry Green Lantern) ultimately fade away. Similarly, candy choices with the most appeal attract the most consumer dollars, while the organic alternatives get thrown away.
That’s the whole point. The market is the ultimate freedom: Taking the product of your own hard work (or that of your parents) and spending it on whatever ideas — or candy — you may choose. In politics, good ideas attract money, just like sugary candy attracts the most kids.
Winning candidates and political parties draw attention from donors large and small. Of course, losing ones (i.e. Michael Bloomberg) can flood the political system with billions of dollars, but money is no guarantee of victory. Bloomberg knows that better than most, and plenty of candy ideas are just as flawed. But, some people liked Bloomberg, and the “top 10 worst candies ever” list is admittedly rife with my own childhood favorites!
So why shouldn’t we be free to choose, in any marketplace, what’s right for us?
No amount of money will get Americans to embrace ideas that aren’t actually popular, just like you can’t pay me enough to eat Hot Tamales for Halloween.
The amount of money in politics is a barometer of civic engagement writ large, and civic engagement is inherently beneficial to democracy. A democratic system can’t function with it. The more money spent, the more people are engaged and the more ideas compete to curry favor in the marketplace. Just like in the U.S. economy and on candy shelves, competition leads to greater consumer choice, and more personal freedom.
Leading up to Election Day, here’s a pro tip: Don’t listen to Democrats crying wolf about political spending. Keep dressing up as Spiderman, keep eating your Skittles, and keep contributing to American democracy.
Free speech and free association are every bit as sweet as candy corn.
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Dan Backer is a veteran campaign counsel, having served more than 100 candidates and PACs, including two of the largest pro-Trump super PACs, and now Ready for Ron. He is of counsel at Chalmers & Adams LLC, a political law and litigation firm.
2 comments
Elliott Offen
October 30, 2022 at 7:47 pm
Dangerous and deadly false information, hate speech, and terrorist propaganda are not free speech. Should ISIS be allowed to advertise? No, and neither should right wingers. They’ve poisoned more people than Ashley Moody’s phoney Fentanyl Halloween candy and Trumps election lies. Just ask Ashli Babbitt on the Ouija board.
Lynda
October 30, 2022 at 8:30 pm
Re: Dan Backer
I disagree with Mr. Backer’s statement that the amount of money in a race is a measure of the engagement of voters/people. Money may be a measure of the corruption and quid pro quos extended to Big donors from Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Tech, etc. but money is only a measure of how much individual voters can afford to spend to support the ideas/policies they wish to see implemented. These days money for political donations by individual voters or the “grassroot” donors can be a very real sacrifice of money for food, money for gas, money for utilities of even the most dedicated voter. candidates should appreciate the sacrifices small donors make.
The Big Donors have unlimited money to prop up losing candidates who simply are not qualified for the elected offices they seek. Herschel Walker can parrot (sometimes) what his GOP handlers want him to say, but he cannot continue to hide his failures for acting like a sperm donor instead of a father and for his abusive actions towards women and children.
Walker’s athletic talents got him out of so many of the “learning to be a good, moral man” opportunities in his life that I expect the past glory will help him this time also. Oh, maybe his convenient conversion to being a “faithful” Christian who as he says “has been forgiven” for his past actions will also work for him. Notice, no sign of remorse for not seeing the children he purposely fathered or an apology to his wife for the abuse he rained on her and his child. He states with clear confidence that he has been forgiven by his GOP god. I am angry that Senator Scott representing the state in which I live went to Walker’s aid to help him win the GA election to be one of 100 people able to be a decision maker for many legislative acts affecting my life. I am angry that Big Money from Big donors will most likely be responsible for Walker’s replacing a decent, well qualified man to serve as Senator from GA.
Big donors have corrupted the election process and changed the power of an individual voter. It is time and past time to get Big Money out of our elections. Every candidate should have only limited government money to tell her/his/their story and what she/he/ they intend to do on behalf of the district, the state, or the judicial level.
The time to campaign should also be limited. No more presidents like trump immediately filing as candidates to suck up money for the next campaign. Every candidate must hold townhalls, must attend at least one debate given by a nonpartisan group and must provide enough information for voters to identify potential conflicts of interest.
Citizens United destroyed the chance American elections would be fair and honest. Our elections are not. Our elections may be accurate and free of fraud so far, but the Big Money available for voter suppression makes them less than fair.
So I disagree with Mr. Backer that voter interest can be measured by money invested with a candidate or political party. Big Money changes the game.
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