What an interesting morning I had on a ‘day off’ from my normal routine of looking for something constructive to do with my day. While distributing Kris Anne Hall workshop flyers and soliciting donations for the D1 fundraiser, I stopped at a friend’s home and the coffee cup discussion immediately became local and State politics. The bane of the discussion was a phrase I have become increasingly disgusted with…”the way the ‘GAME’ is played”…Like it or not, to WIN…we have to PLAY!!!
At this point in time, honesty and transparency have no place in the political arena. In order to achieve any progress in the process, you must understand what the rules are: THERE ARE NO RULES!!! Once this concept has been fully digested, we are ready to join the game as complete (nearly) novices. Thinking that principle and ideas will win the hearts and minds of the general electorate is noble in theory…but in reality, MONEY wins elections. This unfortunate fact puts purists at a distinct disadvantage. For the most part, a “purist” can be defined as anyone thinking the truth will win out in the end…
Back to this morning. I received quite the education as to the plausible landscape of the political cash jockeying for position in a State Rep race. As I am not well connected with the various and sundry political power players in Michigan, I had several questions about the reasoning behind the motivations of the several primary candidates in Republican race. At the end of the discussion, I was left with the distinct feeling I have experienced this before…only on a quite different field of play, gambling!!!
The Prize Goes To The Bankers
Anyone who has felt they were worth their salt on a professional or near professional level in any individual sport or game will know what a “horse” is. For those not aware, a horse is the individual money (or bank) behind the player. Whether it be cards, pool, bowling or other game of skill; when talent is equally matched, the player with the largest bank (strongest ‘horse’) will generally win the day simply by outlasting his opponent’s moneyman as the bet gets larger and larger. “Money talks”…you know the rest. Some horses have conditions or rules set on the acceptance and use of their money…some don’t. In politics, strings are ALWAYS attached.
So, hypothetically, this particular race resembles a poker game. The candidates are the players at the table, but the money ( or lack of it) behind them dictates the rules of the game. A conservative player with a small bank will be less likely to bluff, or call someone else’s, in order to preserve his capital for a winning hand. As the game progresses, his more aggressive opponents take note, and use his caution to their advantage. One might think the ‘money’ would migrate to the cautious player; but the objective is to win the table stakes, and caution seldom does anything but hold its own. It is the successful bluff that generally rules the day.
Campaigns take money, lots of it. It is the way “the game is played”. The ‘horses’ line up in the background; in a separate game of their own; using the candidates as pieces on a chessboard. Think of a 3 dimensional chessboard; as politics is layered, so is the money involved. One campaign, winning or not, leads to another and yet another. So is born the ‘career politician’. The candidate may win the elections, but the prize goes to the bankers. This game tends to corrupt even the noblest of public minded individuals who dare take to the political stage. The question is: How do we change “the game” to eliminate the corruption without playing? We can’t, not peacefully at any rate.
So instead of looking at the candidates as the center of our political attention, let’s look at the money players behind them…and then pit them against each other. The possibilities are endless, and the outcomes become clear and achievable if the matchups are created correctly. Pandering to the ‘horses’ is an inevitable part of “the way the game is played’, as it stands today. Using that fact to advantage just may change the rules. The only other possibility is to have enough money to ‘buy’ your own election…that’s how we got our Governor.
(5)Nuh Uh.
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I've been thinking about this, and I've noticed a similarity to something that a few friends of mine and I were discussing a couple of weeks ago with regard to why, even though they're severely outnumbered, the establishment always (or nearly always) beats the grassroots.
I think, Tom, that between your discussion and mine, we have the makings of a basic strategy and basic tactics needed for the constitutionalist insurgency to hand the establishment their keisters when we need to (on the assumption that the insurgents can pull their skulls out of their fannies long enough to realize that mere numbers aren't going to cut it).
I'm a little confused here on bullet point #3. Is that in reference to those who get their nose out of joint with long-winded dissertations about "coronations" or, is it referring to this Yob-ite StratNat jagoff retweeting his own propaganda he calls tea party news?
And, idiots will buy that bullshit too. Calley expanded Medicaid, and pushed Granholm's DRIC bridge - end of story.
Calley trying to curry favor with the conservatives…you don't actually BELIEVE him do you???…
The most frequent argument I hear against this is that while the legislature is away, the bureaucrats will run amok…which is what they are already doing (case in point the DNR), The last act the reps should pass on their way out the "60 day door" would be to absolutely handcuff the rest of the State gov't…NO NEW POLICY instituted without legislative approval…PERIOD!!!
In other words…"Wait till next year!"...
Neither, really. What I'm referring to is something that Dan also mentioned (though the comment-specific link escapes me at the moment). We have in Michigan at least five different organizations that are interested in having significant influence over the statewide tea party movement. (Dan referred to two of them as the "alliance faction" and the "pow wow faction.") The problem is that these organizations/factions sometimes get caught up in an ego war, leaving the people who are interested in just getting stuff done without effective organizational support until the urinating competition has run its course. And don't think for one second that the establishment doesn't know how to trigger one of those skirmishes when it needs one.
Because you brought it up, yes, Dick Anderson is on the StratNat payroll. Of course, if you ask him directly, he'll tell you that he actually works for some other firm, but it's one that I happen to know is an "alternate LLC," and JPY still signs the paychecks. His current project is as Melanie Foster's handler, which means that my FosterGate Series ("Rhetoric And Scatology" is but the latest installment) isn't exactly endearing me to him right now.
I have limited my cash contributions to candidates I support, and those I have supported in the past…Amash, Bentivlio, Gary Glenn etc…
I will do the same this cycle, and provide speaking arenas and legwork also for those I believe are on the right side of this "War on the Republic"…Rand Paul has some of my money also, as will Ted Cruz shortly…Most others fall well short of my standards for monetary support…
Choose you financial beneficiaries wisely, but DO support those you can...
Amazing. Mr. Capitulate, and his despicable family sure has a lot of folks buffaloed. Standards.
Whatever.
Rand Paul has the decency and courage to stand for the Constitution in the face of withering criticism by most of the political elite, which includes his own party…He may be wrong about the 'big tent' theory, as Romney/Ryan purportedly received 76% of the Hispanic vote in 2012…The GOP will change, eventually…but NOT BEFORE crashing in flames prior to…
These mid terms are the party's last chance for those of us that have yet to totally abandon them; and that INCLUDES lifelong, dedicated party conservatives, along with the Libertarians and Tea Partiers that have already left the fold…Taking the Senate and then undoing the entire Obama administration is their only salvation...
Mr. Backers, respectfully, I will reiterate what was clearly stated for you before: buffaloed. You read through those tags, and allow what they mean to sink in. When it comes to issues that matter, Mr. Capitulate has yet to demonstrate anything that remotely resembles courage.
Mr. "Scales"…As I am prone to tell my Libertarian friends…"If you are looking for the 'perfect' candidate, I'm afraid the Romans nailed Him to a cross 2,000 years ago."…
There are very few Senators I will waste my time listening to at all…Rand Paul is one of them…
If you had a choice, Senator Paul or Harry Reid???
Let's just take the Senate back and get moving on restoring some semblance of the Republic...
Mr. Backers, this is not about seeking "Christ like" folks to place in office. Allow me to make myself perfectly clear for you that I am not an idolater as such buffoonery carries with it too many pitfalls to be exploited by those aligned with the demoralization of our Republic. This is about the truth in what is in office, what it is affiliated with, and whether said individual merits any support of future aspirations.
So, please, in the future spare me the hypothetical either or questions. NOTA on both. Some things just are non-negotiable. Especially when comes to Mr. Capitulate aiding the re-election of a Senate Minority Leader with consistent record of supporting amnesty and funding Obamacare.
I'm not a McConnell fan either...
In my very short political life, I have found that presenting some basic common truth to folks on a personal level transcends designated political boundaries…This requires face to face contact, or the very public act of defying the progressives on a hot button issue…Most 'Americans' agree with our conservative principles, regardless of long standing political bents…
My 'door to door' campaign for Township Trustee (actually testing the waters of my notoriety as Tea Party activist) garnered 361 votes in 2012, after hand delivering 385 flyers…I spent $80…I lost the seat because I ran as an independent, the very last name on the ballot for the position…This time, with notoriety of the defeat of the $13.5 million, 20 year bond debt under my belt as the spokesman for the conservatives advocating against the millage, I have filed as a REPUBLICAN for the Board of Commissioners…
I will use the same face to face, door to door campaign this cycle, spend under $200, and garner the 'robotic' GOP vote along with those conservatives in the district who use common sense as their political ruler rather than party loyalty…I should defeat the incumbent 2 to 1…
Money may rule the 'big picture' in the political landscape, but taking core principles directly to the voting public goes a long way to defeating the influence of boatloads of cash…Our 'victories' may not come initially by WINNING elections on the grand stage, but by defeating the establishment (and their financial resources) in as many races as possible…
Eventually, the money may get the message...
And by the way…
Scott Brown won the "Kennedy Seat" in 2010 the same way…and I worked on his campaign…from home...