So today, I stopped by the retreat around noon to pick up lunch. I decided to sit down and actually eat there instead of rushing out with my food. What did I find at my table? Of course, one of those advertisements. This one was for the "Civil Rights and Clean Elections Dinner and Discussion" event, happening today actually. I read the statistics listed on top - about how 51% of Americans thought in 2008 that racial minorities have too little influence on policy in Washington, and about how in 2004 G.W. Bush raised 91.7% of his campaign $ from predominantly non-hispanic white zip codes.
So, I get the intended point of these blurbs: to show how there are issues with racial representation and campaign bucks in elections. But something is wrong with those statistics: maybe, just maybe, Bush gathered most of his money from white zip codes because he was conservative, not because he had something against minorities. From what I remember from Gov. Pol., most conservatives are white and most minorities are Democrats (or rather liberals; I somewhat doubt that Democrat and liberal can be assumed the same nowadays). That statistic has anything to do with civil rights and little influence.
On the issue of money, I'm not quite sure how reasonable it is to say that $ in campaigns is an evil thing (because that's what the blurbs imply). There are quite enough restrictions on campaign donations and funding already, and I'm not sure it's ethical to have more.
-Crito
4.17.2008
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3 comments:
Hahahahaaaa did you notice that the percentages add up to more than 100%??!!
Hey Crito.
The problem with Bush getting all of his donors from upper class white people isn't that it indicates he has something against non-whites. The problem is, that means those people are the ones he has to pay attention to. He needed to run a campaign, he needed money, and people expect certain things out of candidates when they donate large sums.
Meanwhile, minority and lower income voters haven't paid to have the ear of the president, so they don't get it.
The Clean Elections system, which Democracy Matters advocates, is voluntary btw. So candidates don't have to accept its restrictions unless they want to. The wikipedia page ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Elections ) has a pretty good rundown of how the system works.
Frances McGaffey
archel, those percentages refer to different statistics.
Also citro, I'm sorry you were annoyed by the flier you saw, but don't you think that the organizers recognize that Bush got more money from whites because more white tend to be conservative? That's a no-brainer. The point is that the president does not represent minorities well, not that it is evil for supporters to give Bush money.
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