eBay boss outbids everyone in election spending
Meg Whitman threw another $15m at her campaign spending chest on Tuesday, making her the biggest-spending electoral candidate in US history. The ex-boss of online tat bazaar eBay has now backed herself to a total of $119m - beating previous top spender Michael Bloomberg who spent $110m to get himself elected mayor of New York. …
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Oi! Americans! What?
As this will doubtless result in a torrent of observations about the relative merits of the higher echelons of the US democratic process being open only to the rich, I'd like to invite a Yank or two to defend the system...
...because I'm buggered if I can.
Re: Oi! Americans! What?
The Mercan electoral process is quite a long way from being democratic. Google Oligarchy. Better fit I would have thought.
John Donahoe's Mentor ...
Well, the most terrifying thing is, will all that money actually buy her the office? God help CA if it does.
Americans go for appearance: ever seen this candidates face?
She should have invested in a face lift and visited a hair stylist.
Thank heaven not all the best financed campaigns are successful.
Not even the TV surgeons could improve this one
California is, supposedly, the land of the beautiful people, whomever they are. This ex-CEO wears every worry she has ever had on her face and no TV show could improve her.
Yuk!
What financial benefits does it bring?
Is she hoping to recoup the M$119 campaign money during her term of office somehow?
Does being governor give that much advantage?
Or is she hoping to have a spectacular lecture circuit afterwards?
Well
If it was Illinois she could probably recoup that fast selling senate seats, and other tax payer paid things ;)
For sale: one governor position, in reasonable condition
Haha Jimmy Floyd, nice comment!
Do Americans perceive this as buying votes or is it possible for a candidate to win based purely on being a good person with good intentions and ability to enact their promises?
If I had the decision of voting for two candidates, one who spent 100 million on their campaign and the other who either didn't have 100 million to spend or gave the money to good causes and then stood for election, well it stands to reason I'd vote for the second candidate. Basically I'd vote for the person who either understands what real life is like in the world or who knows their money is best served by helping others.
Buying votes.
"Do Americans perceive this as buying votes or is it possible for a candidate to win based purely on being a good person with good intentions and ability to enact their promises?"
Pay some attention to who these folks elect and how frequently their politicians ever keep their promises. I think you'll realise that image is everything in America. Substance is nothing.
couldn't they just auction those jobs?
on eBay of course...
So at least we know exactly how much money they need to steal back to make the business case.
We've got the Best Democracy Money Can Buy
You have to ask yourself what's so fantastic about being Governor that's worth $115million or so of your own money.
She's a bit vague about policy issues which is a bit of a red flag. Her contender, Jerry Brown, is not much better (if at all). Definitely Hobson's Choice. She's running as a Republican and given the nature of many of the Republicans in the state legislature (if you want to see really weird politicians, this is the place to look) I'm not looking forward to her being Governor at all. (The fact that Carly Fiorina is a fellow Republican, seeking to replace Barbara Boxer in the Senate, suggests that something's really, really, out of whack in our politics.)
She's got nice posters, though.
Typo?
Shouldn't that read:
"Whitman, who was endorsed by Nancy Reagan this week, is hoping the cash will be enough to buy her the job of governor of California in November."
Much better than the alternative!
Another dose of Governor MoonBeam. No thanks, I lived through the first 8 years, and that was enough! He was the one who decided that freeways were a "bad idea", and we had an overpass in the air in San Jose as a monument to his administration.
Sorry, no zen for me, I've had enough of former Governor Browns for my lifetime!
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