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Our Biggest Problem With Trump? He Won't Listen To The Donors (WSJ Editorial)
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Date: August 26th, 2015 10:57 AM Author: Titillating Mexican http://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-worst-argument-1440368198
Donald Trump continues to lead the GOP presidential field in the polls, which means it’s time to start taking his ideas more seriously. One place to start is his argument that because he’s a billionaire who doesn’t depend on contributions from others, he’s somehow superior because he’s immune from political influence.
The casino magnate refers to his competitors who accept political donations as “puppets” who are “totally controlled by special interests, lobbyists and donors.” In contrast, he says, “I don’t need anybody’s money. I don’t want anybody’s money.” It is a consistent part of his pitch to voters—that he’s “very rich” and therefore cannot be induced to indulge a narrow special interest.
The argument plays into the current political frustration with Washington, but it is as self-serving as it is dangerous to democracy. What he’s really saying is that nobody who isn’t wealthy should be able to run for President because only the superrich can be untainted by political corruption.
But most politicians aren’t rich, which means they have to raise money from others. This has the benefit of testing the level of their support as well as forcing them to build political coalitions. The broader their support, the less likely any single donor or constituency would have inordinate influence.
Campaign money also increases political competition. Without donations, politicians who aren’t wealthy or well known would never be able to wage a competitive campaign for the White House. A major reason this year’s Republican field is so wide and deep is because candidates have access to more donations via super PACs. Americans should want a system in which middle-class candidates like Marco Rubio or Scott Walker have a chance to be President.
“I know how the system works better than anybody,” Mr. Trump also says, explaining that accepting a large donation creates an obligation to return the favor. Favors to campaign donors happen every day in Washington, but politicians also often disappoint their campaign supporters once in office. Politics attracts many despicable characters, but some of the people drawn to government service are there because they are animated by a cause.
Still, let’s assume in Trumpian fashion that his rivals will, if elected, merely pursue the agenda of their high-dollar contributors. Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton raise a lot of money from the financial industry. Mrs. Clinton also has a well-heeled constituency in Hollywood, the plaintiffs bar, government unions and elite universities. Mr. Bush’s biggest donors are in various industries including energy, health care and manufacturing.
This is public information that voters should consider. Let’s assume for the moment that Mrs. Clinton would set out to please coastal liberals while Mr. Bush would want to please the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The stolen base in the Trump argument is that if elected the other candidates would have agendas but he wouldn’t. The truth is that even if he never takes a nickel from a lobbyist, Mr. Trump will still be influenced by his largest campaign donor—himself. To say the least, he’s never been shy about pursuing his interests.
In business that’s fine and plastering his name everywhere has built a well-known brand and accumulated a fortune that may even be as large as he says it is. But it’s naive to examine his career and conclude that he lives only to serve others. It’s not clear to us why the agenda of one rich guy in Manhattan is superior to one that incorporates the views of a thousand rich guys across the U.S.
Then again, Mr. Trump is new to the presidential campaign and on Sunday he said he also is open to taking contributions, large and small, as long as there are “no strings attached.” Like any other politician. |
Date: August 26th, 2015 11:02 AM Author: vibrant translucent faggot firefighter Two penultimate paragraphs are a fucking joke. Oh, he's not been a career philanthropist? I guess he only serves himself and would treat the potussy as a career move. What a speculative faggot.
Behavior as a private businessman is not exactly indicative of one's motives and plans for being president. Jfc. |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:09 AM Author: Titillating Mexican (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628176) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:02 AM Author: swashbuckling peach temple "It’s not clear to us why the agenda of one rich guy in Manhattan is superior to one that incorporates the views of a thousand rich guys across the U.S."
what a fucking rag the WSJ is. i'm ashamed that i ever read that sps publication |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:03 AM Author: Abnormal Obsidian Personal Credit Line Jap (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628150) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:10 AM Author: Titillating Mexican canceling my subscription today (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628179) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:10 AM Author: Exhilarant Amber Chad Institution The views of one rich guy are only polling 35% ahead of the consensus views of a hundred rootless cosmopolitan billionaires with barely-concealed contempt for their own party's base. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628183) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:11 AM Author: swashbuckling peach temple not long ago i learned that "kosmopolit" in russian is a dog whistle word for rootless, exploitative jew (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628193) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:12 AM Author: Titillating Mexican (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628200) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 3:17 PM Author: sable den https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rootless_cosmopolitan (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28630130) |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 4:35 PM Author: umber halford elastic band The competition in the marketplace of ideas says that Trump is better.
Why don't you agree with the marketplace, WSJ? |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 3:13 PM Author: Light plaza (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28630079) |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 4:19 PM Author: Khaki striped hyena (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28650082) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:02 AM Author: aromatic unholy mad-dog skullcap hehe, you made an unapologetic incoherent defense of our corrupt campaign finance system, hehehehe, free markets, hehehe, competition, Wall Street Journal sexuality, hehehe (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628145) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:29 AM Author: naked station fanboi *puts gun in mouth* (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628399) |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 4:13 PM Author: Cerebral pink home (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28650027) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:03 AM Author: motley senate pervert lulz (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628149) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:06 AM Author: Self-absorbed Range Death Wish Isn't the rational response to this article simply that we should have publicly-funded elections? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628162) |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 4:03 PM Author: Henna orchestra pit of course. The WSJ would never state openly that it likes privately funded elections because it wants the rich to have more influence over the political process than other citizens. As a result you get incoherent essays like the one above. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28649970) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:07 AM Author: thriller bipolar state pozpig Every day, little by little, I find myself becoming a Trump supporter. Goddamn if I'm not genuinely curious whether it could work. At this point the only thing I still truly despise is his personality. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628169) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:24 AM Author: vibrant translucent faggot firefighter If you haven't, I highly suggest watching one of his stump speeches. He's a 180 guy having a fucking blast skewering the establishment. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628358) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:26 AM Author: Smoky Splenetic Reading Party Newt "It’s not clear to us why the agenda of one rich guy in Manhattan is superior to one that incorporates the views of a thousand rich Jews across the U.S."
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:27 AM Author: Titillating Mexican (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628382) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:27 AM Author: Turquoise Supple Shitlib lol at this fucking sentence (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628384) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:28 AM Author: naked station fanboi okay, i lol'd (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628398) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 11:27 AM Author: underhanded library whaaaa a politician might tell donors who are used to getting whatever they want to fuck off, whaaaaa (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28628385) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 3:12 PM Author: Sapphire Forum titcr. articles like this only endear Trump to normal people even more. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28630068) |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 4:07 PM Author: Beady-eyed Fortuitous Meteor (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28649994) |
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Date: August 26th, 2015 3:09 PM Author: Shaky chestnut weed whacker jfc (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28630035) |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 4:08 PM Author: Excitant crawly background story becky Incredible (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28649999) |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 4:27 PM Author: umber halford elastic band Trump: I'm going to tax those hedge fund guys.
WSJ: We oppose Trump because he won't be beholden to hedge fund guys. |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 5:03 PM Author: Titillating Mexican (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#28650417) |
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Date: August 29th, 2015 4:34 PM Author: umber halford elastic band "It’s not clear to us why the agenda of one rich guy in Manhattan is superior to one that incorporates the views of a thousand rich guys across the U.S."
Trump's major business interests are concentrated in areas that likely won't have much affect on me: commercial real estate, casinos, reality TV, golf, beauty pageants.
The thousand rich guys are a lot more likely to want to fuck me with special interest requests than Trump. |
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Date: December 16th, 2017 3:32 AM Author: Titillating Mexican (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2973370&forum_id=2#34933184) |