Whether you’re excited about upcoming elections because your favorite incumbent is defending their office, or you’re fed up with the current administration, you will likely vote as someone tells you to.
It’s obvious that politics flow from one generation to another through families. Many times new voters will cast the same or similar votes as their parents or other members of family. This may change over time as the young voter forms more of their own world views, or they may stay the same. This is natural.
However, there is another more sinister influence that affects our decision making in the political sphere: political advertisements.
Political commercials on television and radio and biased pundits have polluted the public’s ability to think independently. Even if a voter insists their ideas are their own, something or someone they’ve seen in the media has undoubtedly, irrevocably shaped them. Some would argue that an informed public is the cornerstone of democracy, but practices used today cross the line between information and propaganda.
After a joint investigation by National Public Radio and the Center for Responsive Politics, it has become very clear that people do not vote for the wisest statesman, but for the wealthiest politician. While we have public disclosure laws in place to prevent money from carrying elections, these are not enough.
Social welfare groups, known as 501(c)(4)s in tax law, are becoming a vehicle of choice for big donors to hide large donations in politics. Unlike private or corporate donors to political committees, those who give to social welfare groups can give unlimited amounts while remaining private and bypassing public disclosure laws. NPR and the CRP used tax records to track the money not otherwise reported and found that federal political spending by these groups has increased more than 80-fold between 2004 and 2012, which totals to well over $250 million. According to opensecrets.org, that’s three times the combined contributions made by other major contributors like trade associations and unions.
This vast amount of money is used to target political opponents for defeat in the polls, using tactics like attack ads and other propaganda that effectively make decisions for voters. They’re outright deceiving us. Most frustrating of all, this is completely legal. Therefore, the problem lies within voters.
As always, the decision is upon the voters, but now is the time to make another choice. Make your choices based on your own research, not what you see on TV or hear on the radio because those words are poison. It takes time, so make time; nothing is more important than ensuring the soundness of our minds and country.
For information on local election or to find our how to become a registered voter, visit www.geauxvote.com.