Re:Al Jazeera America to Shut Down in April
by stvswn on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @07:18PM
(#10898736)
If money wins elections, can you explain why Jeb Bush isn't polling first in the Republican primary process right now? Can you also explain why Bernie Sanders is within single digits of Clinton nationally, and beating her in Iowa and New Hampshire? You'd expect that the candidates who spend the most (and represent the monied establishment) would do the best, right? Is it possible that there are other forces at play (for instance, popular opinion?)
Re:Al Jazeera America to Shut Down in April
by abalone on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @08:38PM
(#10899056)
Those are not election wins. We are not even close to the peak of the election cycle where the real money gets spent. There certainly are more forces at play, but money plays the key role.
Re:Al Jazeera America to Shut Down in April
by learc83 on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @09:26PM
(#10899260)
>There certainly are more forces at play, but money plays the key role.
I don't think money is close to playing the key role. If that were true it would only take a few billion to buy a presidential election.
Money is definitely necessary, but I don't think it's sufficient.
Re:Al Jazeera America to Shut Down in April
by cbd1984 on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @10:44PM
(#10899487)
Removed old comment, replaced it with this one:
Here, read this: http://stevedutch.blogspot.com/2014/10/why-are-both-politica...
The Democrat-Republican spectrum spans the spectrum of opinion that is fundable by the business community. There is plenty of vigorous debate within that spectrum. But money wins elections and funds advertising-dependent media, so that's how non business friendly perspectives get filtered out.
It's not a conspiracy, it's more "unnatural selection" by money in the media and political systems.
The working class press of a century ago had a much broader spectrum of opinion, for example. But it didn't rely on advertising.