Saturday, August 10, 2013

Post-Citizens United politics in Virginia sees large “outside” cash infusions in VA governor contest

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.

No comments:

Post a Comment