Buying Votes?

Question

My feeling is that any and all hand outs or earmarks are nothing more then vote buying. What do you think?

Answer 1

Putting it more bluntly the receiver of the earmarks indicates that their vote can be bought by any good bribe.

Answer 2

It's so easy to think in such black-and-white terms but life just isn't like that.

Government's simplified roles are to protect it's citizens from each other and other nations and to make the entire society work better. That includes spending money on programs you may not like.

If you are so passionate about your views, then what are you doing to improve your government?
Are you getting your views heard?
Are you organizing your like-minded voters and getting your representatives to vote according to your views?

Answer 3

Vote buying "hand outs" have been called "Pork Barrel Politics". It is a system as old as the hills.

At least we get to vote in secret, without paid bullies trying to influence our choice.

The entire "democratic process" involves buying votes. That's why both parties are in the pockets of the rich robber barons.

Having two parties, devoted to big business, makes as much sense as communist one-party oligarchies becoming "truly democratic" by giving you a second party to vote for...Red Communists and Blue Communists...so voting will really MEAN something!!!

But I plan to vote. I vote for DEMOCRACY. I encourage you to be among the minority that shows it cares, by bothering to VOTE, although the choices are limited.

It is a terrible way to choose a government, except for ALL the other ways, which are worse!!!

As the folks in Florida seem to know, Stalin said "It is not those who vote who decide elections...its those who count the votes."

You could say the hand full of supreme court judges are the only ones with a real vote, since those few ultimately decide.

As Churchill said, "Never have so many owed so much to so FEW!!!"

Answer 4

not necessarily - they can be used to put a dying or non performing industry on welfare from the fed govt - I dont condone it but the money is set aside for the "pork " before it is even known where it is going - also the way things work a lot of members of congress will go along with a bill they dont agree with as long as they can add some earmarks as a compromise - in other words yes add tax on all crawfish producers except such and such co in my district

Answer 5

I totally disagree. Vote buying only occurs when the person recieves only the gift in exchange for the vote, and they receive the gift immediately.

For example, giving a person a sandwich in order to get a vote would be vote buying.

Developing a program to help that person eat for the next 4 years is not vote-buying, especially since the person wouldn't receive the food till after the election was won.

Answer 6

And Hillary is a master at this. I read that she's dumping her proposed baby bond since 2/3 of voters were against it. Mow she is proposing matching money for 401k accounts.

Does she think we are stupid. Nothing is free. I would like it much better to take the amount of increased taxes and put it into a 401K account myself.

Answer 7

Mostly true, except when such are used to bail out flailing industries in order to save jobs. Then it's really a genuine benefit to the people.

Answer 8

I disagree. They are more than just vote buying.
they also make a political statement about what you stand for.

Answer 9

True...but it is still better than telling people they will get killed by terrorists if they vote Democrat.

Answer 10

I think you are pretty much on target.
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