Gillibrand: Use $$$ to scare off opponents

Cue the Gillibrand gatekeepers (0.00 / 0)

Hi, Dev! Hi, Andrew!

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by: Hudson @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 18:16:13 PM UTC

and this is unique how? (4.00 / 4)

look, i'm all for significant campaign finance reform even for full CMCE style fully publicly funded elections. really.

but, how is what kirsten is doing here not exactly how it almost always works with incumbents? raising tons of dough is how the status quo game is played. it's how one intimidates potential rivals. period.

i don't see how she is doing anything here that everyone else doesn't do all the time.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 18:29:15 PM UTC

That it is not unique... (0.00 / 0)

... hardly makes it more palatable. This is a classic Ari Fleisher-style deflection -- "this is not unusual, no news here." Yep, it isn't unusual for money to dominate politics.

So I don't get what your point is. Using money to protect your seat shouldn't be more acceptable to us just because it is par for the course. We should call it such tactics whenever they're deployed, and not only when deployed by a Republican.

It's also not right. Everyone here at TAP ought to be in favor of more people entering primaries, more choices for voters, more crashing of the proverbial gates -- not shrugging at the establishment's existing tactics.

Meanwhile, not a single mention of issues or values in this message -- just money, money, money.

It is all the more offensive to me given that I've had no substantive response from KG on any issues I've raised with her (personally or through her staff) -- just more fundraising pitches.

We need better Democrats, folks, not merely more Democrats. And we need to have higher standards than the other guys, not stoop to the lowest common denominator.

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by: Hudson @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 19:24:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

who's asking anyone to stoop? (4.00 / 1)

i'm simply pointing out that it would seem you are faulting KG, of whom i no fan, btw, for not competing in a system that does not exist.

what she is doing is not "palatable" and i'm not trying to defend it, i just think it's odd that one would single her out for it.

i'd love to see more folks in dem primaries. that's a sign of a healthier, more robust democracy. but, i also recognize that, given our current, obviously deficient system, incumbents regularly try to discourage such challenges through raising tons of money.

until the system changes, we should be working to elect those who are committed to reforming it. i'm just not sure i understand the efficacy selectively bashing politicians for playing politics like politicians.


TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 19:54:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

oh, and this is absolutely correct: (4.00 / 1)

The political calculations of my opponents will be made based on the support I show this quarter.

it always is.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 18:30:41 PM UTC

Like it or not Hudson... (4.00 / 2)

This is how the present system works. I love how people say that they want a CMCE system and then criticize the current system because of what they HOPE it was instead of acknowledging what it actually is. I want a CMCE system too, but that doesn't mean I'm going to act surprised when I see fundraising appeals like the one you detail above.

Gillibrand is doing what anyone in her position would do: She is raising tons of money (or trying to) hoping that she can avoid a statewide Democratic primary that would take an already expensive race (a U.S. Senate seat will cost an easy seven figures) and make it even more pricey.

So what Gillibrand is doing is hoping that her money will scare away any contenders. She has been a prolific fundraiser in her two House runs, raising money that is on a Charlie Rangel level. So she can raise a huge chunk of money that would be enough to scare any of the smaller challengers away. It might even scare a few of the big ones away too.

Also, I don't see to much value in whining about the current system anymore. We all know it's flawed, so whining and complaining about it isn't going to change it. The way you change it is by pressing your elected officials and candidates to support CMCE. If they do support it, press them to introduce legislation or if legislation is already on the table, to co-sponsor it. If they don't support it, ask them why and start a real dialogue to try and get them to change their minds.

Complaining about appeals like this isn't going to fix our broken system. In fact, it does nothing except repeat what everyone already knows.  

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by: robert.harding @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 21:39:33 PM UTC

erp (0.00 / 0)

"Like it or not... this is how the present system works.... Also, I don't see to much value in whining about the current system anymore. We all know it's flawed, so whining and complaining about it isn't going to change it....  Complaining about appeals like this isn't going to fix our broken system. In fact, it does nothing except repeat what everyone already knows."

The story of New York politics in a nutshell.  Not a pretty picture.

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by: simonstl @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 21:43:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Our campaign finance system (4.00 / 2)

is badly broken. Has been for a long time.

You may not be aware of this but Senator Gillibrand is not the one who broke it. Nor is she doing anything other than working within the system that we allow to continue unabated in its harmful way on the democratic process.

If you don't approve of campaign fund raising then I strongly suggest that you commit your time, effort and outrage towards a campaign finance reform campaign.

I've heard this particular complaint from you a few times now and I fail to see how it is constructive in any way.

You have a history of successful community organizing. Put that to work in bringing a large number of voices together to change the rules in Albany and then in Washington.

That is constructive action!

Peace,

Andrew

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by: Andrew C. White @ Wed Mar 04, 2009 at 17:57:15 PM UTC