Jimmy Carter: The U.S. Is an "Oligarchy With Unlimited Political Bribery"

[rangerrebew]

Jimmy Carter: The U.S. Is an "Oligarchy With Unlimited Political Bribery"

 
July 30 2015, 7:09 p.m.
 

Pete Muller/AP



Former president Jimmy Carter said Tuesday on the nationally syndicated radio show the Thom Hartmann Program that the United States is now an “oligarchy” in which “unlimited political bribery” has created “a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors.” Both Democrats and Republicans, Carter said, “look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves.”

Carter was responding to a question from Hartmann about recent Supreme Court decisions on campaign financing like Citizens United.

Transcript:


HARTMANN: Our Supreme Court has now said, “unlimited money in politics.” It seems like a violation of principles of democracy. … Your thoughts on that?

CARTER: It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congress members. So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over. … The incumbents, Democrats and Republicans, look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves. Somebody’s who’s already in Congress has a lot more to sell to an avid contributor than somebody who’s just a challenger.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/07/30/jimmy-carter-u-s-oligarchy-unlimited-political-bribery/

[EdinVA]

WOW, for once, Carter said something that makes sense..

[bkepley]

WOW, for once, Carter said something that makes sense..

Not to me.  Just more sanctimonious drivel from Carter who is forever traumitized by his collosal failure.

[aligncare]

CARTER: It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congress members. So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over. … The incumbents, Democrats and Republicans, look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves. Somebody’s who’s already in Congress has a lot more to sell to an avid contributor than somebody who’s just a challenger.

I'd say he's pretty much nailed it.

[bkepley]

My guess is that if you took away the right to raise campaign funds the result would be the opposite of what you intended.

[Oceander]

He just keeps getting stupider and stupider as time goes on; that's quite an accomplishment considering how abysmally stupid he was back in 1976-1980.