S03.E07: Campaign Fundraising

[Athena]

Back from Easter break.

 

 

Segments: 2016 Nuclear Security Summit, 2016 Opening Day in baseball and the New York Yankees, campaign fundraising

[attica]

I've had some nice Long Island wines, about which I refuse to feel bad. I've never drunk one from a bag, however. 

 

What's the alternative to never-ending fundraising, though? Public funding efforts don't take off, down-ballot races don't inspire Bernie-type widespread small donations, media won't give free air time for ads (although to my mind, this seems like the most sensible approach: each candidate gets x-amount of air time over x-period of time to do with as they wish, including pacs, which would limit the onslaught under which we all suffer). Argh. 

[tenativelyyours]

I loved the expression on John's face more than once when Israel tried to tap dance away from the edge he walked his own ass out to on the whole issue. 

 

I have seen I think three different local ads for the Half-Shell place when I've been in the D.C. area and not a single one has ever shown a bit of food.  But always lots of huge ass drinks.  Makes so much sense now knowing their niche clientele.

 

Okay I have to admit that I always found Becky Quick just to look incredibly smug and overly self-satisfied let alone as to how she comes off in her job.  And that was before I knew she was married to her boss.  And even though I considered Joe Kernan to be his typical head up his own ass self on the trainer matter I did love the final exchange when she shuts him down.  I think that is the most actual emotion I have seen from Quick that doesn't involve sneering at not-rich people.

[Traveller519]

I cannot wait to see how this Yankees ticket situation plays out.

 

I am so glad to see John still has his talents for interview.

[M. Darcy]

 

What's the alternative to never-ending fundraising, though?

 

One idea has been longer House terms so they don't have to start fundraising the moment they are elected. Though, as soon as Senator is elected, they also start fundraising even though they have about 6 years to go.

 

As someone who works in DC in a office with a large PAC, I was in tears I was laughing so hard at the fundraising story.  Especially that line about 8:30 am fundraisers at Johnny's Half Shell (a place I have typed many times in our office calendar).

[Victor the Crab]

I hope whoever gets those tickets manages to show up in those Yankee Stadium seats in the most slobbinly obnoxious manner possible. That is so hilarious.

[attica]

Is it wrong that I'd be tempted to scalp those tickets and watch the game from the comfort (and full camera coverage) of my living room? 

[ganesh]

I don't see how the Yankees are any different than most clubs. The Dodgers spend more money, and most teams don't want their tickets re sold. I get that the point was the comments.

 

The interview was really good. 

[mjc570]

I guess I just missed the point of the Yankees segment - I see nothing wrong with recognizing that people who pay a premium price should get something for it.  Of course, the club wants to maximize its revenue - its not a non-profit.  And premium or not, if I've paid good money for a ticket, I really don't want to have to sit near a loud, obnoxious, slob who paid $2 for his ticket.

 

I think I'm spoiled by all the Donald Trump segments (including this weeks nuclear weapons one), because nothing even comes close to making me simultaneously laugh/goan.  Of course, it helps to have good source material.

[Julia]

Well, there's the minor matter that if the uncouth slob (which, parenthetically, is quite a class assumption there) is actually a new yorker, the uncouth slob paid quite a bit in taxes to gift the Yankees organization with their shiny stadium.

[ganesh]

I think the ticket situation is more like if I paid for a first class plane ticket, and some one just rolled on in a took an empty seat in first class, even though they paid for a regular class seat. They shouldn't have made the comment that someone who paid a lesser price for the ticket is automatically a slob though.

[tenativelyyours]

I guess I just missed the point of the Yankees segment - I see nothing wrong with recognizing that people who pay a premium price should get something for it.  Of course, the club wants to maximize its revenue - its not a non-profit.  And premium or not, if I've paid good money for a ticket, I really don't want to have to sit near a loud, obnoxious, slob who paid $2 for his ticket.

 

I think I'm spoiled by all the Donald Trump segments (including this weeks nuclear weapons one), because nothing even comes close to making me simultaneously laugh/goan.  Of course, it helps to have good source material.

 

You're presuming an awful lot.  How do you know Donald Drumpf only paid 2 dollars for his ticket?

[peeayebee]

I was looking at some of the pics people tweeted. I'm not sure which would be the best. Some are in costumes, some like exaggerated rich people, some like stereotypical poor people. None of them seemed just right to me.

[Traveller519]

I think the ticket situation is more like if I paid for a first class plane ticket, and some one just rolled on in a took an empty seat in first class, even though they paid for a regular class seat. They shouldn't have made the comment that someone who paid a lesser price for the ticket is automatically a slob though.

 

It would be like this only if that person got that first-class ticket because they bought it at a discount off someone else who had previously purchased the ticket but was no longer able to use it.

 

Just like the Yankees are free to turn a profit, if I've purchased the season tickets I'm free to try and limit my cash flow loss from unusable tickets. I may not be able to go to every game, or find a friend to use them.

[mojoween]

I was looking at some of the pics people tweeted. I'm not sure which would be the best. Some are in costumes, some like exaggerated rich people, some like stereotypical poor people. None of them seemed just right to me.

Our vote was for the two guys dressed as Teletubbies. Now I have to watch the games for the next three days instead of just listening.

I feel like the one politician from California wearing the Mets tie and singing the Mets song must have lost a bet but I have no explanation for any of the others.

Edited April 5, 2016 by mojoween

[Victor the Crab]

I feel like the one politician from California wearing the Mets tie and singing the Mets song must have lost a bet

 

More than likely. The Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers three games to two in a National League Division Series last year.

[stillshimpy]

On the Yankees ticket issue, I just got sort of stuck at the idea that there were such refined, delicate snobs going to baseball games that they wouldn't expect to sit next to people who were cheering and drinking beer.    What the fuck, Yankees?  It's not comparable to a first class seat on a plane, ganesh, context matters.  People buy first class tickets on planes because they want a more peaceful, more private experience.  They want luxury.  

 

Those are good seats and all, but they aren't inside the Cone of Silence and Serenity and they can still both see and hear the unwashed masses.  The suggestion that "people who had never sat in a premium seat" were a lesser form of life, unlikely to have adequate hygiene or being more likely to grab the actual ass of the person sitting next to them, was just plain strange.  

 

So it was elitist and uncomfortable and I was sort of tickled that John figured out a way to stick it to the Yankees.   

 

Honestly, if the air one must breathe to be comfortable in life has to be filtered through wealth and privilege at all times, it's probably not a good idea to go to a baseball game where half the damned point is to get rowdy and yell out questions about a batter's parental lineage as a distraction.  Good luck building an Ivory Tower in the stands there, Yankees. 

 

And yes, the citizens of any actual city paid for the bloody place to start.  

 

As someone who works in DC in a office with a large PAC, I was in tears I was laughing so hard at the fundraising story.

 

As someone who would need to be kidnapped, brainwashed (best of luck with that endeavor) and then bribed to go anywhere near DC, it mostly made me want to cry.  

Why in the world did Israel agree to be interviewed by John Oliver when he spent his time trying to slither out of half of what he purported to believe at the top of the interview? 

 

How in the world does anyone find the time to be obstructionist, ill-informed, jackasses en masse, preventing any actual governance from happening with all that bloody fundraising?   In a truly ironic fashion that segment rather impressed me with the dedication these people must feel to getting jack-all done.  One would think they don't have the actual time to dedicate to derailing democracy.  

[tenativelyyours]

With the issue regarding the Yankees, I took it that the organization was on one hand touting its extreme privilege and customer service even as it was basically insulting a huge number of their customers and making it harder for the customers they weren't (and hoping would drop the Big Dime for the very service) to not let their paid seats sit empty. 

 

Because that was part of the big issue to me.  Was that people who buy into the premium service with season tickets, the sharks of professional sports, were being given an attitude of not just exclusivity but having a sort of negative connotation to letting others sit in their seats if they cannot make it themselves.  Our company has such tickets, I hate baseball and loathe the Yankees so I wouldn't go, but I think they are a dozen that the boss uses some of, others are donated to charities, we are tapped into Make a Wish I know and others are birthday and bonus etc.  I'm not sure of the issue that the show was bringing up.  But the main difference is that those seats were paid for and should be encouraged to be filled no matter how the ticket owner sees fit.

 

The idea that money is some kind of quality is hysterical.  Watch the cretins that get out of the limos at any pro games. 

 

As for first class plane tickets.  It doesn't work for me I guess because when I buy my ticket I buy it for that flight.  Even when I travel the same route a lot, I'm not buying a seat on every flight to and from that city and using it when I can.  No one is being bumped up gratis to sit in a seat I can't sit in but paid for.    The flip side would be if an airline refused to let me transfer a ticket I bought to someone else if I couldn't be there.  Based on the premise that money can only stand the stench of its own.

[attica]

I once worked in luxury retail, and one of our most venerated buyers had a motto: Any schmuck can pay retail. The message was that it takes a lucky/clever person to get a bargain. Perhaps it's no more complicated than rich people haaaate it when somebody else gets a bargain on something for which they paid retail. It makes 'em look bad.

[mojoween]

I just turned on the game and there are two guys sitting directly behind home plate wearing ninja turtles costumes.

I'm a Yankees fan who can only buy tickets when my employer gives us the opportunity for discounted pricing and yet I still find the entire thing hilarious.

[M. Darcy]

This article has a picture of ninja turtles at the game http://deadspin.com/there-are-two-ninja-turtles-behind-home-plate-thanks-to-1769155451

[OneWhoLurks]

“I am proud of our wine industry for not only producing award-winning wines, but for driving jobs, tourism and economic growth to the region,” Israel told us in an email Tuesday afternoon. “I invited John to tour our vineyards to taste some of these fine wines, this time out of a glass instead of a bag. He politely declined, but I take it that he prefers a wine on the dry side – much like his jokes about Long Island wine.”

 

[...]

 

We reached out to our resident wine writer, Lenn Thompson, for his take on the episode, which he called an unfair representation of the region.

 

“If John Oliver were interviewing someone from California and drank crappy white zinfandel made a million cases at a time, that wouldn’t even be worth talking about. Everyone knows that that wine doesn’t represent what California wine is on the whole,” Thompson said. “I see it as just another little dig at a region that still struggles to gain wider acceptance — and deserves a lot better. An entry-level bagged chardonnay doesn’t represent Long Island wine in any larger sense.”

 

“It’s particularly unfortunate because the viewership of that show is a demographic that Long Island wineries are trying to reach right now,” Thompson continued.

 

 

http://northforker.com/2016/04/05/john-oliver-pokes-fun-long-island-wine/

[ganesh]

Conceptually, the first class ticket analogy is apt. Others agreed with me so I don't think I'm off or trolling. The Yankees officials/management came off as jerks because they either are jerks and explained themselves poorly. Other sports organizations have something similar. 

[OneWhoLurks]

“I was so stoked and I was so excited,” said John Welch, of Yorktown, after winning the seats in a contest that fired a shot at the imperialist Yankees.

 

“It’s a practical joke, but it’s fun for us and it’s awesome to be sitting here for 25 cents. Big shout out to ... John Oliver. This could not have been any better.”

 

[...]

 

They were flanked by a few die-hard fans — but mostly by empty premium seats — on a sunny but bitterly cold afternoon with the temperature at 35 degrees by 1 p.m.

 

“If people can afford (the tickets), they should be able to sit there no matter who they are,” said Welch. “I get what (Trost) is saying to a degree, but I don’t agree.”

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/men-clad-tmnt-costumes-sit-behind-yankees-home-plate-article-1.2589401

[biakbiak]

Conceptually, the first class ticket analogy is apt. Others agreed with me so I don't think I'm off or trolling. The Yankees officials/management came off as jerks because they either are jerks and explained themselves poorly. Other sports organizations have something similar.

Thanks to my frequent flyer miles (plus my parents upgrading me from their tons of frequent flier miles), I have sat next to a ton of rich and sometimes famous people in first class that behaved like obnoxious assholes and in a manner that it shouldn't have been okay how much they paid for the ticket. Nearly all MLB clubs have a similar "exclusive" seating with high end food and special entrances the issue was the steps the Yankee Management went to denigrate their fans and not actually even give a shit about people routing for their team! The photos from Monday show two teenage mutant ninja turtles sitting in a bunch of empty seats. On an airline they would be filled, so the comparison isn't the same. Hell I have gotten upgraded to first and business just because I was nice to an airline rep after they had to deal with a douchebag!

[Jersey Guy 87]

Thanks to my frequent flyer miles (plus my parents upgrading me from their tons of frequent flier miles), I have sat next to a ton of rich and sometimes famous people in first class that behaved like obnoxious assholes and in a manner that it shouldn't have been okay how much they paid for the ticket. Nearly all MLB clubs have a similar "exclusive" seating with high end food and special entrances the issue was the steps the Yankee Management went to denigrate their fans and not actually even give a shit about people routing for their team! The photos from Monday show two teenage mutant ninja turtles sitting in a bunch of empty seats. On an airline they would be filled, so the comparison isn't the same. Hell I have gotten upgraded to first and business just because I was nice to an airline rep after they had to deal with a douchebag!

 

I use to fly a lot for business and was frequently upgraded.  Very few people sitting in first class on airplanes paid for a first class ticket - most people sitting up there got upgraded for the flight (because of their status) or used miles to "purchase" first class tickets (something I used to do a lot - my wife didn't like me traveling all the time but she enjoyed never sitting in coach).

 

The premium seats at Yankee Stadium, on the other hand, are purchased by someone (in many cases a corporation, but also some individuals).  The Yankees have already received their money for those seats, it shouldn't matter to them who sits in them or what price that person actually paid for the ticket.  But they're more concerned with getting a piece of the secondary ticket market which is why they put this policy in place.  They're not trying to "protect the fans sitting in those seats", they're trying to make it more difficult to sell your tickets through StubHub or other similar services who don't have a deal in place with the Yankees.

[OneWhoLurks]

I’ll start by introducing myself. I’m John Welch, a 22-year-old Mets fan from upstate Mohegan Lake who usually spends my days working, spending time with my girlfriend Amanda or watching sports with friends.

 

But today [Tuesday], you probably know me better as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle who sat right behind home plate at the Yankees Opening Day.

 

[...]

 

I found out I won at around 11:30 a.m Tuesday when I got a direct message on Twitter informing me I won. Next thing I knew we were on the train this morning in our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle outfits en route to Yankee Stadium.

 

[...]

 

After getting off the train and facing many more questions from random people as we are walking in, we met a producer from “Last Week Tonight” at the McDonald’s near the Stadium. She checked my i.d., we each gave her a quarter — hey, a deal’s a deal — and then we were on our way.

 

Walking toward the Stadium we got the reactions I expected. People yelled our character’s names — Donatello and Michaelangelo — and then even more questions from people if we were from comedian John Oliver’s contest. I guess word got around.

 

[...]

 

But once we got to our seats we got the same lighthearted reactions from people. Before long it felt like we were sitting anywhere else in the Stadium, which I didn’t expect at all. I’ll say this: I think the fans in those seats get a bad rap from the Lonn Trost comments in the HBO piece. They were in no way snobs. In many ways they were no different than the people I’m used to sitting next to.

 

Around the fifth inning we decided to check out the restaurant. Maybe you noticed our absence on television. That’s where the most glares came our way. But overall it was still a positive reaction. As we would walk by tables, people kept stopping us, asking questions and wanting pictures. Of all the pictures we took, the most definitely took place in that restaurant. We got stuck down there an extra 10 minutes taking pictures before we got back to our seat.

 

Funny, when we got back to our seats behind home plate, people in that section actually cheered and called out our Ninja Turtle names. The whole game was a fun, laid-back atmosphere, something I didn’t expect in those seats after the John Oliver bit.

 

 

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/meet-the-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-who-won-john-oliver-s-25-cent-tickets-to-opening-day-at-yankee-stadium-1.11658333

[biakbiak]

I use to fly a lot for business and was frequently upgraded. Very few people sitting in first class on airplanes paid for a first class ticket - most people sitting up there got upgraded for the flight (because of their status) or used miles to "purchase" first class tickets (something I used to do a lot - my wife didn't like me traveling all the time but she enjoyed never sitting in coach).

The premium seats at Yankee Stadium, on the other hand, are purchased by someone (in many cases a corporation, but also some individuals). The Yankees have already received their money for those seats, it shouldn't matter to them who sits in them or what price that person actually paid for the ticket. But they're more concerned with getting a piece of the secondary ticket market which is why they put this policy in place. They're not trying to "protect the fans sitting in those seats", they're trying to make it more difficult to sell your tickets through StubHub or other similar services who don't have a deal in place with the Yankees.

By their representive's own words who in a thirty second clip put his foot in his mouth a gazillion times, they don't want someone sitting in the seat who is not rich and therefore not be able to conduct themselves apporiately at a baseball game, his words were ridiculous and represent what is wrong with sports of real fans versus people who could afford tickets! Hell, I still remember Kirk Gibson's line about his late inning homer for the win in the world series, when asked what he remembered he said the red of the break lights of fans leaving the stadium early. Edited April 6, 2016 by biakbiak

[OneWhoLurks]

So what do we do about this? John Oliver has that covered too. Three of the most effective solutions to money-in-politics are sitting in Congress, ready to be passed, right now. The Government by the People Act, the DISCLOSE Act and the Stop Act are three of the more ambitious pieces of legislation designed to supercharge the power of small donors, ensure transparency for our elections and get our lawmakers back to work. None of these bills would require overturning Citizens United, meaning we can fix much of what ails our democracy with just a few acts of Congress right now.

 

The Government by the People Act, introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD), is particularly promising because it’s based off a system that’s already seeing great success in New York City.

 

In New York City elections small donations (contributions of less than $100) to candidates are matched 6 to 1 by the city. Turning a $25 contribution into a $150 contribution provides a powerful incentive for candidates to get back in their districts talking to their constituents. A 2012 study by the Brennan Center for Justice showed that 90 percent of census blocks in New York City had at least one small donor to a city council race, as compared to only 30 percent for state assembly races (those candidates are not eligible for matching funds). One study concluded, “by pumping up the value of small contributions, the New York City system gives [politicians] an incentive to reach out to their own constituents rather than focusing all their attention on wealthy out-of-district donors, leading them to attract more diverse donors into the political process.”

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-penniman/john-oliver-just-proved-i_b_9611614.html

 

ETA:

 

The stadium was half-empty on Tuesday, even though it was sold out. The Monday rainout and the unforgiving weather had much to do with that. Steve Tipa, also known as Statman, said he would wait to fill out his precious, detailed scorecard until he got home, because his fingers were too numb to write.

 

The Yankees have made it a bit harder for these fans to resell their tickets, banning the use of PDF home printouts from StubHub. That may in turn lead to even more seats being unfilled this year. The Yankees’ own Ticket Exchange is arguably just as functional in the secondary market, but fewer would-be buyers have learned to look to that site for a deal.

 

[...]

 

The scenes were varied in the Bronx, the crowd quieter than usual. Behind home plate, two fans dressed in Ninja Turtle costumes stuck out the whole, long defeat. They were part of a John Oliver-inspired promotion, to democratize the expensive Legends seats. There was reluctant acknowledgment everywhere that the Mets might be the hotter franchise at the moment.

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/sports/in-the-bleachers-few-starry-eyed-views.html?_r=0

 

ETA2:

 

John Oliver went after Congressional fundraising on Sunday's episode of "Last Week Tonight." Among those targets that got caught in the crossfire: Capitol Hill restaurant Johnny's Half Shell.

 

[...]

 

Eater followed up with Fulchino via email, who said chef Ann Cashion and he “laughed so hard” at the sketch when it aired. He texted the show and invited Oliver to dinner and thanked him for the shoutout. “Who let me out of the house with that mullet!” Fulcino said.

 

“The piece was good, I thought — It captured how insane it is to have no option but to raise such large amounts of money in order to get re-elected, and the senators pretty much echoed the same,” Fulcino said. He did note that the $1,000 donations go to the candidate, not the restaurant, which only charges $35 per head for fundraisers. Most fundraisers at Johnny’s take place over six months of the year, and represent only a third of the restaurant’s sales annually. Plus, he had to note — Cashion's food is "so good", even if Oliver was implicating otherwise.

 

“Maybe John Oliver can have me on his show WITHOUT my 80's hockey mullet, and we can discuss the reality of owning a restaurant within a Congressional corridor in Washington, D.C.!” he wrote.

 

 

http://dc.eater.com/2016/4/6/11371996/john-oliver-johnnys-half-shell-mock

Edited April 6, 2016 by OneWhoLurks

[mojoween]

Move along, nothing to see here except how not smart I can be sometimes Edited April 6, 2016 by mojoween

[ebk57]

I'm so happy that the Yankees ticketing bullshit has come to national prominence.  I'll be in NY while my team (let's go O's!) is there and it's tough to afford the high prices there without the secondary market. Hope they change the policy before August.

 

Also, I'll vouch for Johnny's Half Shell as far as the food goes.  It's been wonderful the times I've been.  And just for the record, they do serve real breakfast.  You don't have to eat a bucket of shrimp for your morning meal.

[OneWhoLurks]

After two fans dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sat right behind home plate in the Bronx on Opening Day, visible from the center-field camera on every pitch, four fans — two dressed like Katy Perry’s sharks from her Super Bowl performance and two in turquoise unicorn costumes — sat in the second row Wednesday night, though they were just off camera toward the third-base side. All four were winners of the contest put forth by HBO's “Last Week Tonight” hosted by comedian John Oliver.

 

Hannah Lee and her Brand Connections co-worker Michelle Munera dressed up as the unicorns and surrounding fans asked to pose for photos with them. They did not know the sharks, Ashley Lewis and Jennifer Sedgley, beforehand.

 

“We found out this morning and it’s been awesome,” Lee told the Daily News. “Crowd is loving us."

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/sharp-dressed-fans-yankees-top-seats-john-oliver-article-1.2591207

[purist]

Forgive my ignorance - I'm from Australia, where we have compulsory voting and consequently our elections are nowhere near as dominated by money as they are in the USA - but what are all these congresspeople raising money FOR? When they say they are spending it on their re-election, what does that mean? TV ads and billboards I understand, but why do they have to raise so much money? What do they spend all that money on?

[attica]

Staff wages, rent for campaign offices,opposition research, polling, bribes. You know, everyday expenses. :)

[OneWhoLurks]

Israel did acknowledge, though, that Oliver’s first taste of Long Island wine, “directly from a warm bag of chardonnay in a stuffy D.C. office,” might have been unimpressive

 

Following the segment, Israel invited Oliver to tour the North Fork.

 

No word on whether that will happen, but Israel isn’t deterred. “I’ll be sure to raise my glass of rich, full-bodied Long Island sauvignon blanc, say a toast to my missing friend, and pour a little out in his absence,” he told The Point. “Just kidding, you don’t waste Long Island wine.”

 

 

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/steve-israel-defends-long-island-wine-after-drinking-chardonnay-from-a-bag-1.11664291

[stillshimpy]

Forgive my ignorance - I'm from Australia, where we have compulsory voting and consequently our elections are nowhere near as dominated by money as they are in the USA - but what are all these congresspeople raising money FOR? When they say they are spending it on their re-election, what does that mean? TV ads and billboards I understand, but why do they have to raise so much money? What do they spend all that money on?

 

Truly we can barely explain this either, but I will give it my best shot:  campaign managers are paid, so are speech writers, etc. etc.  so campaign "staff" is part of it, but then the biggest chunk of everything has to do with advertising and campaigns on a national level.  So when a Republican (or Democrat) representative or senator is constantly trying to get money for a reelection campaign, as often as not that money going into the party coffers.   Some will, of course, go to their actual election funds, but in the instance where they are talking about people who have -- in some case -- uncontested seats, or races typically won with 80% of the vote, you can figure out how much they really need to get posters, signs, buttons, campaign materials printed and TV ads made, as well as speeches written, etc.  

 

Answer:  Not very much, the bulk of what they are raising goes into the party funds.  These will be used for the harder to win races, the ones that need not just campaigns, but tons of material taking down the person in opposition. For cable advertising and advertising with multiple affiliates.   Governor, sometimes mayor (although, despite what some TV shows would have you believe, there are only a handful of mayoral spots that really matter nationally)  ....and for spots in the more contested positions, where the advertising really will win the day.  

 

Then there's advertising on propositions and that's where the lobbyist really, really want money directed.  During any election you can drive around and see "No on 16!" (amendment to the state constitution) "It's not right for _______" insert state.  Now our ballots would scare the living shit out of any not from here and for the most part are damned near incomprehensible for most people here, as it is.  

 

In any election...and we have them every two years, with the occasional special election, because we have self-loathing issues (kidding...sort of) ....there will be a batch of amendments that really, really determine where state funds end up being directed.  The 16th amendment to the state constitution could be about legalizing medical marijuana, or increasing funds for school....or for passing  a law that says an abortion clinic can't be within 100 feet of any residential housing, or schools, or churches.  Or have to have hallways that are a width applicable only to hospitals.  Or have to have steel re-enforced walls that are double the requirement for fire codes elsewhere.  

 

You starting to get where this is going?  Amendments are where parties can really start to take over policy at the state level.  In many instances that will have to do with the allocation of funds and in others, giving permission for things like....fracking. 

 

Then still more money goes into what amounts to a two year cycle for presidential candidates, who have to raise their own money , until they get the party nomination and that's where the real money comes in.  Advertising in prime time, on the radio, on front lawns.  On billboards.  On line. 

 

That's not even counting the corruption behind those aims.  If a particular party favors ....oh say....getting rid of the Environmental Protection Agency....there are a bunch of businesses that would do handsprings glee, let's go back to my fracking example, because no one likes fracking and the only person I'm likely offending is not reading this thread:  Take away governmental oversight and businesses practically pee the floor with joy at the mere thought of all the money they can make, getting away with stuff.  

 

But back to the amendments:  since our ballots are so overburdened with so many special interest causes, no one with an actual job, life, or particularly engrossing hobby, can really have the time necessary to fully educate themselves to the ramifications of all issues to be voted upon.  So the only exposure they might have to what 16 (or 8, or 7, of 31) will do, is often brought to them by that advertising.  

 

The issues are often decided along the lines of who made the biggest dent in the public consciousness.   They can be about a huge slew of things, including things like voter id laws and a ton of things that can help a party wrest power from the other party.  

 

Just about everything I've outlined had to do with the GOP , but it really isn't as if the Demcorats are pure or something.  

 

So ....basically they kind of need money to ...uh...brainwash voters on a mass scale.  

 

Can I come live with you in Australia, by any chance? No?  Okay.  Fine.  It was worth asking. 

Edited April 7, 2016 by stillshimpy

[OneWhoLurks]

During the bottom of the seventh inning of Thursday’s game in the Bronx, a stadium camera focused in on Thursday’s contest winners, Nick Turchak and Chris Chestnut. The two were shown on the center-field video board with the following message: “Thanks John Oliver! Everyone is welcome at Yankee Stadium.”

 

Turchak was dressed in a green dinosaur costume while Chestnut wore a purple dragon outfit.

 

“We found out this morning at around 10:30 a.m.,” Turchak told the Daily News. “It’s been great so far!”

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/winners-john-oliver-tix-wear-dino-suits-stadium-article-1.2592546

[attica]

Hah! I was watching the game and it took me a little while to figure out they were dragons (as opposed to, idk, I thought maybe Aladdin cosplayers?), but there they were!

[purist]

 

So ....basically they kind of need money to ...uh...brainwash voters on a mass scale.

 

Thank you for that comprehensive explanation, stillshimpy. US politics truly is fukt. Also, my brain hurts.

 

 

Can I come live with you in Australia, by any chance? No?  Okay.  Fine.  It was worth asking.

 

Of course you can. Cheers!

[dusang]

Can I come live with you in Australia, by any chance? No?  Okay.  Fine.  It was worth asking. 

 

 

Of course you can. Cheers!

 

Australia is beautiful with many lovely people but before you move you should remember that, as John Oliver himself described it, Australia is one of the most comfortably racist countries on Earth.

Edited April 8, 2016 by dusang

[Jersey Guy 87]

Curse you, John Oliver.  I've watched the Yankees (a team I loath playing a sport I don't enjoy) the last three days just to see who won the contest each day. Not the whole game, of course, but still, I've sat and watched.

[Lion]

I don't think your watching the Yankees is John Oliver's fault.  Multiple websites have put up photos, gifs and videos of the costumed fans.  Even if you didn't want to search out these websites, several lovely posters have linked them here.  

[Jersey Guy 87]

I don't have the patience to wait for the pictures to come up online when I can see the winners there before the first pitch (or, in the case of yesterday, about 3 minutes after I got home).  I'm not saying I watch the whole Yankee game, I just watch enough to see the contest winners and than switch it off.  But I've already seen more of the Yankees this season than I did all of last season.

[OneWhoLurks]

Israel elaborated further to Unfiltered this week: "There is no doubt that John Oliver is a gifted comedian, but this time he really missed the mark. As good as he is at making people laugh, I am as equally committed to defending all things Long Island. The Long Island wine industry is no joke—our vineyards produce award-winning wines, attract more than a million visitors each year, employ hardworking New Yorkers and stimulate our local economy." The congressman also named a few favorites for Unfiltered readers to check out: Kontokosta, Borghese, Bedell and Waters Crest.

 

 

http://forums.previously.tv/index.php?app=forums&module=post&section=post&do=reply_post&f=752&t=41165

[Lantern7]

Chiming in late . . . for anybody who's still interested in Congressmen raising funds, 60 Minutes will be doing a segment on tonight's episode. Saw that in a commercial while watching The Amazing Race, and Time-Warner confirmed it. I found the Yankees' policy more interesting (I'm a Mets fan), but I figured y'all should know.

[OneWhoLurks]

WASHINGTON (MEDIA GENERAL) – One of Washington’s dirty little secrets is that members of Congress earn $174,000 per year, but spend up to 30 hours a week buttering up rich donors.

 

Now, a group of congressmen wants to flip the money-first Capitol culture on its head.

 

“Look around the House floor in the middle of the afternoon. Very few people are there. Walk down the halls of one of the House office buildings. Very few members are in their offices,” gripes Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.).

 

[...]

 

Congressman Jolly, who’s now battling for the GOP nomination to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in 2017, has sworn off the dialing-for-dollars operation that consumes so much of his colleagues’ time and wants other members to do the same.

 

A few months ago he introduced the Stop Act, which would ban federal office-holders from directly soliciting donations.

 

“We have to stand up and say enough is enough,” Jolly urges. “Let’s get back to legislating and leave fundraising to the campaign committees.”

 

[...]

 

Jolly’s Stop Act has a humble six cosponsors as of this writing, but he hopes that number will spike as constituents apply more pressure.

 

He insists that he will not ask directly ask for donations during his Senate bid, but will continue attending fundraisers. To do otherwise would be economic – and electoral – suicide.

 

Unless and until federal campaign finance laws get a makeover, Jolly closes with the following message to his congressional colleagues: “Put down the phone. Stop raising money. And do the job you ran to do.”

 

 

http://wfla.com/2016/04/24/congressmen-challenge-bipartisan-shakedown-pressuring-members-to-raise-18000-every-day/

[OneWhoLurks]

Quote

 

Longtime political hangout Johnny's Half-Shell is leaving Capitol Hill — and replacing Adams Morgan neighborhood stalwart Cashion's Eat Place.

The relocation of Johnny's had to do with the restaurant's struggle to make rent on weekends and off hours, even if its private dining business was strong, according to Politico. Johnny's has a major reputation as a political fundraising destination, which was recently mocked on an episode of John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight." The new location will serve a smaller, but similar menu. The restaurant has been around since 1999.

 

Cashion's Eat Place is Closing, But Johnny's Half-Shell is Moving In

[ebk57]

17 minutes ago, OneWhoLurks said:

Cashion's Eat Place is Closing, But Johnny's Half-Shell is Moving In

 

Well boo to all of that!  I like Johnny's and I hate Adams Morgan.  So I guess I won't be going there anymore (not like I ate there often, but still...)

[OneWhoLurks]

Quote

 

Colorado Representatives Jared Polis (D) and Ken Buck (R)  lectured at Colorado State University Wednesday about the importance of bipartisanship in the House of Representatives and in the current election cycle.

[...]

A topic covered very often in the class is congressional fundraising. During Q&A, a student asked about congressional fundraising and specifically how accurate John Oliver’s episode of Last Week Tonight about fundraising was compared to their experience. In response, Polis said it was “spot on” expect for the fact that he does much more fundraising in Colorado than in Washington DC. 

 

House representatives visit CSU during bipartisian district visists

[OneWhoLurks]

Quote

 

U.S. Rep. David Jolly, a Republican from Indian Shores, has generated enormous enthusiasm for his Stop Act — a proposal to ban members of Congress from personally asking people for money. "60 Minutes" did a special segment about the idea. That followed an incredibly powerful piece by comedian John Oliver describing with perfect clarity just how absurd the system has become.

From my own survey of research, we know that members of Congress can spend anywhere between 30 percent and 70 percent of their time raising money. Even at the low end of that estimate, this should astonish anyone. Critics are wrong to call this a "do-nothing Congress." To the contrary, it does an incredible amount — of fundraising.

[...]

But Jolly's proposal is the most cynical example of fraudulent reform that I have ever seen. No doubt, the Stop Act would make Jolly's job — and the job of other members of Congress — better. By law, none of them would have to spend their time engaged in the misery of direct fundraising. By law, they would all effectively collude to leave the fundraising to their staffs.

Yet this would change none of the causes of the corruption of Congress. For the piper would still be paid by the very same people. Members of Congress would still be dependent on the very same special interests to fund their campaigns. Indeed, Jolly's staffers have spread the word across Capitol Hill that the power of the big funders wouldn't really change with his so-called "reform." All that would change is that congressmen wouldn't have to do the dirty work.

Once again, we have a politician pretending to fix the system when in fact, he's just working hard to make his life easier. No wonder the Clarus Research Group found that "when Congress passes laws that affect the way political campaigns are financed," 80 percent of Americans believes those laws "have been designed more to help current members of Congress" than "to improve the system." This law would not improve the system. All it would do is improve the life of congressmen.

 

Jolly's folly: Lawmakers still beholden to funders