The state of Wisconsin has become a microcosm of the broader political landscape across the county. It has all the great elements of political drama, and even one significant advantage over the rest of the country: We don’t have to wait until November to see how it turns out.
For this reason, both the right and the left feel that a victory is imperative this summer when the recalls take place. Whoever doesn’t win will insist that the results don’t matter, but only losers say that winning isn’t everything. For this reason, out-of-state activists have plenty of vested interests in Wisconsin politics, and will make these interests known with the help of campaign finance laws. This is wrong. Wisconsinites should be allowed to decide their elections, not wealthy individuals and groups from out of state.
There are two main reasons for the huge inflows of cash. The first is a bizarre provision in Wisconsin campaign finance law that allows for unlimited contributions while petitions are being circulated and verified. The other is the advent of Super Political Action Committees, which can raise and spend unlimited sums of money during elections. Both of these provisions are being actively taken advantage of by those looking to influence elections.
A recent Palm Beach Post story on David Koch sheds some light on the situation. David Koch, along with his brother, who founded the ambiguously-named Americans for Prosperity, have been major players in the recall game thus far. In fact, as the La Crosse Tribune reports, the group has already spent $700,000 on a TV ad supporting Walker. By influencing Wisconsin politics, they’re hoping to, in turn, translate that momentum into a larger conservative victory in November.
It’s worth noting, though, that the Koch brothers aren’t the evil boogeymen the left sometimes makes them out to be. They’re good people, who just happen to be extraordinarily wealthy and extremely conservative. David Koch’s spokesperson estimates that he gives $4 to charity for every dollar he uses politically, including a pledge to donate $100 million to create a cancer research lab at MIT.
For every wealthy conservative donor, there’s an equally wealthy liberal donor. It’s not just the right that’s trying to influence state politics. Once Democrats coalesce around a candidate of their own, more money is sure to pour in from liberal interests. This isn’t a matter of liberal or conservative; it’s a matter of allowing Wisconsin to choose its own leaders. Barring an unforeseen and unlikely constitutional amendment, the torrents of cash into the state are unlikely to slow before the recall election. Since it doesn’t look like it will be possible to cut the money off at its source, the only other option is to minimize its impact.
In a perfect world, political advertisements wouldn’t do any harm. Voters would do their own research, figure out which candidate best fits their views, and then vote for him or her. Unfortunately, we’re far from that right now. Public opinion is swayed significantly by slews of mudslinging ads. The best – and only – way for Wisconsin to take its future into its own hands is for each and every voter to appreciate the power of his or her vote and do the necessary preparation. Democracy doesn’t do much good if money can still buy an election. If we allow outside interests to continue to sway our elections, we might not be such a wonderful and unique state forever. To keep outside interests from deciding the fate of Wisconsin, I urge every single person not only to vote, but to do the proper research beforehand.
Joe Timmerman ([email protected]) is a freshman majoring in math and economics.
