A Blow To Democracy
The newly constructed conservative Supreme Court has made a ruling overturning the campaign finance laws of Vermont: The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Vermont’s limits on contributions and spending in political campaigns are too low and improperly hinder the ability of candidates to raise money and speak to voters. In a fractured set of opinions, […]
The newly constructed conservative Supreme Court has made a ruling overturning the campaign finance laws of Vermont:
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Vermont’s limits on contributions and spending in political campaigns are too low and improperly hinder the ability of candidates to raise money and speak to voters.
In a fractured set of opinions, justices said they were not sweeping aside 30 years of election finance precedent but rather finding only that Vermont’s law — the strictest in the nation — sets limits that unconstitutionally hamstring candidates.
The majority took issue with Vermont legislators for “constraining speech” by telling candidates and voters how much campaigning was enough.
President Bush’s two appointees to the court — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito — sided with the majority in overturning Vermont’s law.
This of course makes it easier for the upper-echelons of society to become our leaders. This country as a whole needs serious campaign finance reform and the Supreme Court just snubbed their noses at it. Activist judges? Hell yeah there are. This is an example of it. Of course conservative judges will rule like this considering the only way the party they believe in can get elected is through a powerful money machine.
It is amazing to think that every democracy comparable to ours has some sort of publicly financed election laws. Why can’t we get that? Isn’t the base of democracy to allow its people from all walks of life a chance to lead? We are quickly become a theocracy as opposed to a democracy.