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Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

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451–460 of 553 posts

Re: Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

#451
post #216

Why is it healthy for American democracy to have an oligarch purchase the U.S. Presidency like a shiny, new yacht?

That individuals can shake up the system, but only if they can convince voters to vote for them, is a sign of health in a democracy. The alternative is deeper two-party stagnation.

Re: Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

#452

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean I didn't like any of the alternatives either. There's only two teams and I don't like them. What do I do?

It's too bad more people don't realize the answer is to vote third party. Voting for somebody you don't want to win is the definition of "throwing your vote away."

Bit of a chicken and egg issue. It's hard to convince people that this is a viable option until a third party receives a critical mass of votes at least once.

Re: Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

#454

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no answers as to why Andrew Yang did not poll more than 1-5% in Iowa/New Hampshire.

Very little media attention.

Also basically offered us a $1000 giftcard to walmart to fix the income inequality created by oligopolies.

Re: Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

#455
post #306

I wonder if the entire race could be won by offering an incentive of sorts. Say a $50 Amazon gift card for every (new) voter who sends a pic of their vote receipt or something... Granted its a lot of money, but so is gifting billions to the media conglomerates for more (useless) ads...

Secret ballots prevent that kind of attack. Everywhere I have voted in the US, at least, doesn't include ballot selections on the receipt.

Who cares? Just set up kiosks and give gift cards to anyone that votes. Pick the key districts (i.e. where people are likely to vote D but have low turnout) and you could easily push the electoral college over the tipping point for a few billion.

Re: Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

#457

I'm looking forward to the debate tonite, hopefully Bloomberg will get to show everyone what kind of candidate he really is. I still think his entire campaign is just a twisted way to get around campaign contribution limits and possibly a bulwark to keep the wacko socialist candidates from winning the nomination. Hopefully he proves me wrong and is a real candidate that will be able to stand toe to toe with President…

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Re: Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

#458

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, the Rockefeller family had a very long record of spending enormous sums on elections, whether by running themselves, or through an own candidate, and loosing every single time. It will be a good read for everybody deifying "a realpolitik grandmaster" Henry Kissinger how badly he failed in the role of Rockefeller's political adviser. His ineptitude in politics was borderline tragicomedic. This the b…

Sorry, there's been at least one successful Rockefeller. Win Rockefeller was elected, and very popular. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winthrop_Rockefeller

Surely Jay Rockefeller of WV too?

Re: Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

#459
post #449

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some reason, say the words Founding Fathers and too many Americans' brains seize up, even though they were a motley assembly of, among other things, tax cheats, drunks, and racists. Nor were they particularly great political scientists: all of their main goals (no political parties! Congress acting on a check on the President!) fell by the wayside, and the rickety mess that is the Constitution has only survived b…

And yet it is the oldest existing nation with a constitutional government in which the people elect their own government and representatives. It's always been a work in progress and always will be.

Is it? Really? Hasn't the U.K. been a constitutional monarchy since 1688 or so?

I totally accept it if we're only counting from the start of true universal adult suffrage, including women and taking no account of melanin content of skin - whoever is first on that deserves it be known widely for their national pride. Was that the USA?

Re: Bloomberg bankrolls a social-media army

#460
post #457

I'm looking forward to the debate tonite, hopefully Bloomberg will get to show everyone what kind of candidate he really is. I still think his entire campaign is just a twisted way to get around campaign contribution limits and possibly a bulwark to keep the wacko socialist candidates from winning the nomination. Hopefully he proves me wrong and is a real candidate that will be able to stand toe to toe with President…

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