It is ironic that some of the hosts have attempted to relate to middle-class Americans while throwing such lavish campaign fundraisers in hopes to obtain funding from lobbyists. One host's campaign ad said that he would "always put Colorado families before the Washington special interests," while another host stated that "America's not broken, Washington is!"
It would be a mistake to imply that only GOP members take part in this type of fundraising. Obama, for example, has headlined multiple fundraisers, some having tickets that costed up to $35,000.
Although it is required by law for the political parties to disclose the donor lists, the ethics of this strategy are still questionable, in my opinion.
We learned that lobbyists can be both good and bad, in terms of the morality of their strategies to influence legislation. What do you guys think- is this technique leaning closer to bribery or is it a fair strategy? Should lobbyists be able to donate to members or should we reform the current laws to ban this?
2 comments:
If anything, it's reverse bribery. The politicians accept money in return for a chance to influence their policy. I think it's fair game. Politicians need to do what they can to raise money for their campaigns. Obama has been inviting people to donate a minimum of $3 for a chance to win a dinner with him. I think this is a creative way to encourage donations from his supporters, as are the golf course tactics of the Republicans.
While I think it's a little hypocritical to say the aim is to reach the "middle class" when tickets are so pricy, I think this method of fundraising is legitimate. There are people or lobbyists out there who are capable and willing to pay the amount of money to have dinner or play golf, and I think this serves as a good way for candidates to fund their campaigns.
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