In a post-Citizens United world, every election is rigged.

[hifiguy]

Not necessarily by funny business with voting machines, which I am sure exists and will continue to exist, especially in very close elections, but by money.

The fascist plutocrats are willing to spend however many billions it takes to catapult the lies and propaganda. Given the percentage of the electorate that is very low-information or just plain to-the-bone bigoted and/or stupid, it is, for the most part, easier to manipulate these sorry sheeple than to rig the mechanisms of voting themselves and it's less risky. It is merely a cost of doing business, which will be handily recouped many times over once they have complete control and can finish their looting the 99%.

What can be done to reverse or stop this? As far as I can see at this moment, not one thing, for when money is speech, the rich can easily drown out everyone else and when there is such a significant uninvolved/imbecile/bigot segment of the electorate more than willing to be led to their own slaughter and resistant to any form of facts the tool of reason is a very small slingshot indeed.

[Javaman]

1. Great minds think alike...

I just posted something along the same lines of what you posted at the same exact time as you did.

money. It makes the world go around and wins you elections.

[get the red out]

2. My greatest fear

[PeaceNikki]

3. If it's all rigged, why bother voting?

Nice, responsible message!! That will help is a ton, thanks!!

[Initech]

4. I'm ready to overthrow the plutocracy at this point.

There's no way we'll get Citizens United overturned until we get a SCOTUS that works in our favor and I'm incredibly worried that the fucking billionaires will stop at nothing to put Rmoney in the White House. He's their perfect tool to carry out their bidding - a bland crusty millionaire who made a living killing jobs and gutting the assets of healthy companies. Do we really want this guy picking the next two or three SCOTUS justices and getting a court permanently slanted in favor of the billionaires? Hell no!!

[AZ Progressive]

5. Make a pejorative name for a "politician sold out to big business" and label candidates with it

Promote this name on ads and attack and label every republican backed by big business and running for office with it, and promote the "evils" of big money / big business. Emphasize that a candidate is being backed by big money / big business and how much big money wants them and how bad this is for voters. People in this country are fed up with corruption, why not attack a candidate based on the idea that a candidate is being backed up by corruption? It could certainly help if TV viewers are sick of seeing the airwaves saturated with attack ads.

I would also add in an ad criticizing or satirizing the attack ads and how they think that voters are stupid, and show how, and attack the attack ads like that.

[libtodeath]

6. K&R

The disgusting legacy of shrub and our elected officials sit back and do nothing while the country is destroyed.

[rustydog]

7. I would argue from THEIR stand point, the elections are not rigged, this is what they wanted

elections and candidates are for SALE. These guys can afford to buy them. Unless there is an American Spring, you will see Wisconsin occur in state after state after state.
They have billions upon billions of dollars..what do they get in return:
2am ohone call to Snot Walker, or the governor of your state, your senator, your representative...and that call will be answered and the "elected" official will say: "Yes sir, whatever you say!"

[Nye Bevan]

8. Jerry Brown spent $36 million; Meg Whitman spent $177 million.

Money isn't everything.

[hifiguy]

9. Jerry Brown's name recognition with the California electorate

was easily worth tens of millions of dollars.

[Nye Bevan]

10. Exactly. There are factors that can matter more than money (nt)

[marsis]

11. But not many.

You take the factors that mean more than money and I'll take the money, I'll win 70-80% (just a guess) of the time.