[EL] "How to waste 10 million dollars"

[Mark Schmitt]

I think a similar piece can be written about virtually every effort to use
election-year money to raise the salience of a particular issue, Steyer's
included. It's just not a model that works anymore, if it ever did. When
the issues break along partisan lines, an issue PAC becomes just another
Democratic or Republican PAC -- an uncoordinated one -- unless it finds
very idiosyncratic situations, as Mayday did with Jim Rubens. But that in
turn creates problems and backlash of its own. (Every Voice PAC was not
only savvier, it also went into state legislative contests, where there's
more room to maneuver.)

In the past, organizations like the League of Conservation Voters could
boost two or three Republicans who were good on the issue and needed LCV's
help, and come out stronger. But there aren't many organizations or issues
where that kind of cross-partisan play works anymore. NRA still has it, but
probably won't have it for long.

Mark Schmitt
202/246-2350
gchat or Skype: schmitt.mark
twitter: mschmitt9

On Thu, Nov 6, 2014 at 1:50 PM, Steve Klein <stephen.klein.esq at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I suspect that non-binding local resolutions aren't going to draw the
> discussion of elections that actually matter, of which there were quite a
> few on Tuesday. Perhaps that's the idea behind Move to Amend's strategy?
>
> The Lowell, Mass. referendum
> <http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_26874800/referendum-corporate-political-spending-passes-mass>asked
> legislators to:
>
> "vote for a resolution calling up Congress to propose an amendment
> affirming that 1.) rights protected under the Constitution are the rights
> of natural persons only and 2.) both Congress and the states may place
> limits on political contributions and political spending"
>
> ... I further suspect that with no counter to this, like, say, "Congress
> could then go back to banning documentary films," the average Jane and Joe
> are easily swayed by these platitudes.
>
>
>
> On Thu, Nov 6, 2014 at 11:40 AM, Tyler Creighton <tyler at rethinkmedia.org>
> wrote:
>
>> How do you explain away all of the voters that expressly voted for
>> campaign finance reform? To name a few, Arkansas voters
>> <http://www.governing.com/topics/elections/gov-arkansas-voters-term-limits-ballot.html>
>> pass ban on lobbyists gifts and direct corporate & union contributions to
>> candidates. Voters in Tallahassee
>> <http://daily.represent.us/anti-corruption-movement-scores-major-victory-polls>
>> passed an anti-corruption measure limiting campaign contributions and
>> establishing public financing. Voters in Massachusetts, Ohio, Illinois,
>> Wisconsin, and Florida
>> <https://movetoamend.org/press-release/election-shows-americans-ready-amend-constitution> overwhelmingly
>> pass ballot questions calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn
>> Citizens United. More on Massachusetts
>> <http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_26874800/referendum-corporate-political-spending-passes-mass>
>> and Wisconsin <http://scwmta.org/?p=2139> ballot questions.
>>
>> *Tyler Creighton* | tyler at rethinkmedia.org  |  Media Associate
>> ReThink Media <http://rethinkmedia.org> | (202) 449-6960 office | (925)
>> 548-2189 mobile
>> @ReThinkDemocrcy <https://twitter.com/rethinkdemocrcy> | @ReThink_Media
>> <https://twitter.com/rethink_media> | @TylerCreighton
>> <http://www.twitter.com/tylercreighton>
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 6, 2014 at 1:00 PM, Joe Trotter <jtrotter at campaignfreedom.org
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Just a heads up, if you are interested in seeing how candidates
>>> supported by groups primarily concerned with money in politics this
>>> election cycle, Byron Tau and Ken Vogel wrote a great piece, "How to
>>> waste 10 million dollars
>>> <http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/2014-elections-mayday-pac-larry-lessig-112617.html>."
>>>  Additionally, if you haven't seen it, CCP released an analysis of
>>> candidates supported by MayDay PAC, which is available here
>>> <http://www.campaignfreedom.org/2014/11/05/mayday-pacs-candidates-sink/>
>>> .
>>>
>>> It is always great to see new people and groups exposing voters to their
>>> ideas and always interesting to see how well received those ideas are by
>>> the electorate.
>>>
>>>
>>> Joe Trotter
>>> Center for Competitive Politics
>>> 124 S. West St., Ste. 201
>>> Alexandria, VA 22314
>>> www.CampaignFreedom.org
>>> jtrotter at campaignfreedom.org
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
>>> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
>>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Steve Klein
> Staff Attorney & Research Counsel*
> Wyoming Liberty Group
> www.wyliberty.org
>
> **Licensed to practice law in Illinois. Counsel to the Wyoming Liberty
> Group pursuant to Rule 5.5(d) of the Wyoming Rules of Professional Conduct.*
>
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