In the brave newer world of post-Citizens
United politics, important political campaigns can expect to see large sums
of “national” capital flowing into their political coffers as well as those of
their opponents. Virginia’s contest to fill the shoes of the haphazard Bob
McDonnell has proven to be a glaring example.
As one of only
two contests for governor across the country, the gubernatorial showdown
between Terry McAuliffe and Ken Cuccinelli has been the focus of large ‘foreign’
campaign contributions.
In Cuccinelli’s corner are just about every extreme
right-wing fat-cat with an open wallet and a stunted mind in addition to
the Republican Governors Association, who just made a hefty contribution to
Cuccinelli’s campaign for governor.
And in Mr. McAuliffe’s corner is a billionaire financial
wizard from California, Tom Steyer, who recently dropped
six-figures into the ring for governor for a new advertisement directed
against the unenvironmentally friendly Cuccinelli. McAuliffe also had the audacity to take
another $100,000 contribution from the American Federation of State County and
Municipal Employees, that deployable organization that seeks to give its
members continued job security and living wages.
Virginians, however, still haven’t warmed up to the idea of
outside money pouring into Virginia’s political campaigns. On the one hand,
there’s a lingering mistrust of anyone or anything that doesn’t have Virginian
roots. On the other hand, there is an important question that many critics of
outside campaign financiers have pointed out: if the candidates for governor
are receiving millions of dollars from individuals and groups outside of
Virginia, can Virginians truly expect these candidates to properly represent
the people of the commonwealth over their big campaign contributors?
This is the question that Cuccinelli’s campaign is
attempting to play with by labeling McAuliffe as “bought and paid for” by (name
your outside individual or group). Of course, such an accusation by Cuccinelli
is the pot calling the kettle black.
The question is legitimate, regardless of whether Cuccinelli
has sullied its utterance: can Virginian’s trust that their elected officials
will represent THEIR interests if
millions of dollars is getting contributed by individuals and/or organizations
outside of the state? Until Citizens United is overturned or outside
contributions somehow rapidly decrease, this is a question that Virginia’s
public officials will have to answer.
It’s hard to imagine (nay, impossible!) that hundreds of thousands
of dollars, or even millions, in campaign contributions doesn’t buy any special
favors (or the promise of) by the candidates being funded. Money is great, but
too much money? Not so much.
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