Date: November 17, 2002
Topic: Business/Economic
Author: William Reed
Article ID: article_ema11702a
IN THE BUYING AND SELLING OF THE BLACK VOTE, REAL PLAYERS PAY
How often have you been told that due to its importance to our families
and communities, voting is a civic duty every citizen should perform?
On the other hand, how many citizens recognize that if you don't put
money where you put your vote, the ballot you place has little relevance
in the election process?
From the beginning of this Republic politics has been a parlor game
of the rich. Once held only by white male property owners, the right
to vote supposedly now allows voting privileges to all. In actuality,
today's election process continues to illustrate that those with the
most money rule politics; and voters and candidates with little wealth
still have little or no meaningful participation in the process.
Except for felons, each and every US citizen has the right to stand
for elective office. But, the high cost of running for office deters
low-income citizens and candidates from mounting viable campaigns for
their interests and issues. "Get Out The Vote" people say
"Voting is a tool citizens can use to select government leaders
and to hold them accountable." Actually, people unable to play
"pay politics" have little to say about who gets nominated
and receive little representation from whoever is elected.
"Get Out The Vote" people, who get paid for their roles, clamor,
"When Americans do not participate in elections our democracy is
threatened." Naively, they lead the vast majority of African Americans
to believe: "The more we express our values and concerns through
voting, the better our elected leaders will represent us." The
truth is a "Politician For The People" cannot be elected without
support of the rich. Black Americans have to grasp the fact that having
a passionate belief in a candidate is not enough to get them elected.
As the cost of mounting credible campaign increases, Black political
power will expand not only by getting out the vote, but through putting
money with our votes. Have you noticed that, starting with election
primaries candidates that collect the most money almost always go on
to capture their party's nominations? So, is there any wonder that the
campaign contributors that enabled those candidates to win are first
in line of those to be "represented"?
African-Americans complaining about the GOP sweep of the 2002 elections
need to take note of the "pay-to-play" equation. One percent
of the population funded 2002 political campaigns. To be real players
in America's electoral process, African Americans have a long way to
go in the money race. A 1997 survey by Public Campaign found over 90
percent of large contributors to federal campaigns were white. A 90
percent white district in Manhattan, with just 107,000 people, gave
over $9.3 million to federal candidates, while 9.5 million persons in
483 communities of color only gave a total of $ 5.5 million.) A 1997
national survey of major congressional campaign contributors (i.e. those
who give $200 or more) revealed that 95 percent of such donors to be
white. Candidates raising the most money in 2000 won 93 percent of races.
Political campaign funding is increasing four times the annual inflation
rate. Two critical 2002 races to fill Black seats in the US House illustrate
such. Ten times as much money was spent to win in Alabama's 7th and
Georgia's 4th congressional districts than was the case in 2000. Interestingly,
over 75 percent of $2 million spent by candidates ousting Earl Hilliard
and Cynthia McKinney came from outside those districts.
Clearly minority neighborhoods give far less to candidates than white
ones, but when bulk of the bucks in our neighborhoods campaigns comes
from outside of them it's time to reassess our vote s! actual value.
When more Blacks understand the connection between political and economic
power they will find and fund political campaigns that will empower
our communities. Because it takes money to pay campaign staffs, buy
materials and posters, fund direct mail and television and radio ads,
African American should note that just voting on Election Day is hardly
enough to represent Black needs and interests.
