Democracy Died First in Wisconsin – Long Live the Oligarchs

[thomhartmann]

Democracy Died First in Wisconsin – Long Live the Oligarchs
by Thom Hartmann

The Wisconsin recall election was the first major test of the new era in American politics.

That new era began in January of 2010 when the US Supreme Court ruled in “Citizens United v. FEC” that the political voice of We The People was no longer as important as the voices of billionaires and transnational corporations.

Now we know the result, and it bodes ill for both 2012 and for the tattered future of small-d democracy in our republic.

A few of America’s most notorious oligarchs – including the Koch and the DeVos (Amway fortune) billionaires – as well as untraceable millions from donors who could as easily be Chinese government-run corporations as giant “American” companies who do most of their business and keep most of their profits outside the US – apparently played big in this election.

I say “apparently” because the Supreme Court has ruled that we no longer have the right to know who is really funding our election commercials, or even our candidates themselves.

Thanks to an irrational and likely illegal Supreme Court ruling, we have moved into an era of oligarch-run politics. As much as $40 million of our oligarch’s money was spent in Wisconsin in a handful of local races – a testing laboratory for strategies that will now be used against Democrats nationwide in 2012.

And so now we enter the battle of the oligarchs over the next fifteen or so months.

As the old saying goes, when the elephants fight, the mice get trampled. In this case, the mice aren’t just the voters. It’s democracy itself.

America is now – demonstrably, as proven by Wisconsin – just a few years away from the possibility of a totally corrupted, totally billionaire- and corporate-controlled political system. Political scientists call it oligarchy.

The Citizens United election experiment is over, and the oligarchs won. Long live the oligarchy.

[meegbear]

1. NEVER SAY DIE!

We may have lost the battle, but dammit, as long as I am able, we're not gonna lose the war!

[mmonk]

2. Aye. You're correct.

[elocs]

3. Yes, it is obviously time to roll over and give up. n/t

[Bragi]

13. Or maybe question if change by the ballot box is viable?

Since the oligarchs own the electoral system, it seems reasonable to question how much people should rely on the rigged electoral game to bring about change, as Hartmann does.

Working to elect less-damaging pols is obviously part of a good defensive strategy for working people, but we know it will never result in meaningful social or economic change.

I think that's the point.

[TheUnspeakable]

17. thank you-facing and admitting the truth is not giving up...

it might lead to a new way to go about things-we have to figure out a different way-it ain't working
this way.

[marions ghost]

58. agree

"it ain't working." The good news is more people are waking up to that.

But what we do about it is the question. Needs creativity, networking, action, persistence, non-violent protest--all the things apparent in Wisconsin but on a national level. It would be nice to have a few outspoken leaders, but with this country's record for assassination and level of gun violence towards liberals--you can see why people don't stick their necks out. Has to be a mass movement.

[robcon]

4. Democracy is thriving in Wisconsin - better than in most places.

The recall elections show that Wisconsinites are holding their politicians to a higher standard.

[TheUnspeakable]

5. with a heavy heart, I sadly agree..

and what's really sad, is that in spite of all the millions that were spent, the votes probably still
had to be tampered with-but that will go unproven and unreported- just like so many other elections.
Without elections, we have NOTHING.

[midnight]

11. Yep..... With the flip of a switch.

[midnight]

12. Yep. With the flip of a switch.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. I completely disagree. This was a victory

WE diminished their large majority, we organized, in the face of $40 millions in opposition, we took on very conservative areas, and we came out with two victories. Almost 4. By any measure, that is winning, and setting the tone for the future.

I like Hartmann. He is smart, well read, and incisive, but sometimes, he is just plain wrong.

[malaise]

9. +1,000 n/t

[Liberal_Dog]

24. My Thoughts As Well

The "oligarchs" had to spend all that money to hold on to solid Republican districts.

I am encouraged by yesterday's elections.

[Bluenorthwest]

27. I also disagree with Hartmann

On this.

[sybylla]

38. +10,000

Anyone with a solid understanding of the lay of the land in Wisconsin knows this was a huge victory.

[tsuki]

41. Yea! The Cassandras and, I suppose, the trolls are out in full force

across the internets to bemoan "the loss", and demoralize the Democratic base in Wisconsin. Good luck with that. I want to congratulate them. Hey, maybe you did not get everything you wanted, but it was a victory.

The Republicons spent $40 000 000.00 to defend 6 safe seats and walked away with 4. They lost 2 seats, safe seats, safe state senate seats.

This has got to be unsettling for the Republicons. How much will they have to spend in a general election? The oligarchs got their Citizen United decision and they were woot, woot, wooting. Not much to woot about. The oligarchs just handed their purse strings to the Republicon political establishment. And for a group of people that worship the dollar with as much furor and ecstasy as the fundamentalists worship whatever it is they worship, this is not good. Every time the oligarchs turn around, the Republicon political establishment will be there with their hands out. Remember, the Republicons have no troops. They pay for everything.

I think that in the cold, morning light, they have seen the future, and it is expensive.

2012 Recall the Drop-Out.

[sybylla]

46. Well said!

I have been posting basically the same comments all over DU this morning. I think you've said it much better.

Recall the Drop-out in 2012. It's going to happen. Last night just proved it.

[tsuki]

51. Thank you. I have been to several blogs, and I think the paid trolls

are out. They seem to have two themes, All is Lost, and Democracy is Dead. It is a type of voter suppression and demoralization. I consider the vote a victory. Go, Cheeseheads.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

52. I've seen that too.

Mostly, it seems to be driven by two things;

a. the fact that it came so close to being 3-4 wins (and all the energy put into this effort)

b. the MSM is doing its best to dismiss this as a severe loss to us. Which it most definitively is not. By any measure, we won.

[SidDithers]

49. Good post...

I can't think of much that's more democratic than hundreds of thousands of voters (millions?) casting ballots in a recall election. Regardless of the outcome, the democratic process is working in Wisconsin.

Sid

[ehrnst]

57. Yes! (nt)

[myrna minx]

7. It's a dark day, but I can't give up.

:-(

[deutsey]

8. I have a feeling we're entering into a phase similar to the end of Reconstruction

It took about a century of struggling, dying, numerous setbacks, and hard-earned victories before that travesty was rectified.

We're going to have to settle in and start doing the hard work to dig out of the hole we're in. We may not get out of the hole, frankly, but whatever progress we make will, I hope, inspire upcoming generations to keep up the fight.

Then one fine morning....

[marions ghost]

59. Different times now dontcha know

it can happen much faster than that. Let's not leave this mess to upcoming generations.

[deutsey]

65. It can indeed...but will it?

That's up to us.

[truedelphi]

69. That is a scary thought, but you very well be right on the mark.

It will take a long long time to undo the damage.

[mfcorey1]

10. They wanted six. They were sure of two. Had hopes for a third. Where is the defeat? As one

thinketh, so is he.

[GillesDeleuze]

20. on kathy's computer.

[sybylla]

39. Bullshit.

Dems had the numbers before they went to Kathy's computer.

[PeaceNikki]

14. hogwash

[Puglover]

26. Agreed,

This post is very insulting to the huge effort that my WI neighbors put forth. I am very encouraged by this.

[bullwinkle428]

15. Thom, I do find a touch of irony to this post, as you often urge

your listeners that "Despair is not an option!"

[formercia]

16. Look at the positive side

That's $40 Million they won't be spending, trying to defeat a Democratic candidate somewhere else. We need to start thinking of the lessons of Asymmetrical Warfare. The Mice need to start shitting on the Elephants' food supply. Make them pay such a price, that they will eventually decide that the War is costing more than it's worth.

[Imajika]

47. You are entirely wrong...

It is MUCH easier for them to replace their war chest than it is for us to replenish ours.

Take Wisconsin for example, the unions will almost certainly have less money going forward with which to fight due to Walker's union busting legislation. Many people will stop paying dues, it's human nature and it's bound to happen.

The super rich are only getting richer and are more than happy to pour millions into these races over and over and over again - hell, 40 million is nothing to people like the Koch brothers, they can make that up in a week. Raising millions to fight these battles for progressives means money out of the pocket of union workers and middle class families, for the uber rich it is peanuts.

[formercia]

56. I love your positive attitude.

:sarcasm:

[hifiguy]

54. Nope

Their money well is infinitely deep. And as long as they own the voting machines, this is largely an exercise in futility.

[marions ghost]

60. They have deep pockets

that well won't run dry anytime soon. They'll just skim off more from us to fund the building of their firewall.

[formercia]

63. Yes, but do they have the Cash on Hand to continue indefinitely?

The Koch Brothers have a combined fortune of about 42 Billion. They bought Georgia Pacific a few years ago for 18 Billion and most of their 'Fortune' is tied-up in property and other assets. Since the Crash of 2007, Georgia Pacific has seen a substantial decline in sales of Building Products and Paper, so, my guess is that it's a big drain on their resources. It's almost impossible to get hard figures, since Koch Industries is Private and doesn't reveal its finances.

$40 million in Cash is a big chunk of Change, even for them.

[marions ghost]

64. My feeling is that they could go for a long time

if you think we can drain their cash away bit by bit. They get time to recover and then pour massive amounts into their next arena. There is nothing stopping them. They are voracious.

Since we don't have true figures, the ratio of resources vs time & effort --can't be calculated exactly but it just seems to me that they can outlast us no matter how hard we chip away in the rigged elections game. In other words, we can cut off the lizard's tail but it grows back and then we have to cut it off again, a constant Sisyphean battle against the odds.

What we need is a Goliath with moneybags on OUR side but I don't see one in my crystal ball (Oprah maybe?). So at some point, the people will need to rebel against the corrupt system that is allowing this hijacking from within. I don't know if we'll see that in my lifetime. The majority could just go ahead and choose to live under oppression. That is an unknown right now. But for any hope to remain it's still important not to let the oppressors go unchallenged.

Also remember, all the aspens are joined at the roots. Even if you siphon off a little of the Koch funds, there are plenty of other biggies.

I know one thing, this situation is very damaging to this country and is weakening it, making the people stressed and physically sick. It is the road to ultimate failure. We may have to just watch it happen. And that's why a lot of people who sense it continue to deny, deny, deny.

[formercia]

66. What's the point of making it easy for them?

I would rather go down fighting on my two Feet than on my Knees.

[marions ghost]

67. I'll put it another way

We are not going to beat them at the money game. The argument about making them pay maximum $$$ for their "wins" does not give me a shred of hope. We are not going to make a dent in their coffers. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't fight them every step of the way with whatever resources we have.

They are morally and ethically bankrupt. We are not and this is our strength. The two sides have always clashed in history.

Sometimes even if you don't win the battle, you fight the good fight to save your own soul and to provide hope for the future that things CAN change. So of course we will fight. But this is a fight to the death and you can't survive if you have any delusions at all about the strength and resources of the enemy.

Pardon me sounding like Braveheart. I'm all about fighting but "making them spend money" is a dubious win. It doesn't weaken them. Strengthening our own forces and winning hearts and minds IS a win. And the rest of the country has been watching.

[Liberalynn]

18. I have always been a pessimist by nature

but this is just too pessimistic even for me.

Look this maybe sappy but hey:

If our forefathers gave up just because the opposition seemed unsurmountable and better armed we would still be singing "God Save the Queen!"

Should Susan B. Anthony have just given up on Women's rights because the odds were stacked against her? Sure getting women the right to vote took a hell of a lot longer than it should have but it eventually happened.

How about Frederick Douglas or Martin Luther King. Should they have just given up on Civil Rights because of the opposition they faced?

The truth is there has been and always will be opposition. You can argue that things have changed and the opposition is fiercer, but I am sure at the time, things looked just as insurmountable to past Americans throughout our history. Yet people like the above mentioned didn't give up.

You might not win now, you might not win ever, but if you keep fighting at least you can say with dignity "I didn't surrender".

[marions ghost]

61. We are spending all of our time fighting for things that should be "inalienable rights"

We are not two different ideologies battling on an equal playing field. We are pawns in a rigged game. America is all about money and they own us. Our resources are relatively meager and our voice is stifled. What we do have is numbers but without a functional election system we have nowhere to be counted. (When you have to question every election result, it's not a functional election system).

You are right that we have no choice but to go down fighting, but how much can people keep losing before they're just too demoralized to fight? I'm a fighter from way back and won't quit, but the political situation now defeats many people who just want to live in peace. They walk away for their own survival.

Hartmann may go overboard a bit at times to get people to think about the reality of our oppressed situation. It is a very difficult thing to convince Americans that we are in the position of being a subjugated people if we do not turn this around. He's trying to wake people up with the urgency of this.

[TreasonousBastard]

19. BULLSHIT! We got the recall and we won a third of the races IN SPITE OF...

the millions spent by the other side.

Normally, this would mean fight on, but not only do we have to deal with the opposition, but our own people insisting any loss is complete and total defeat so we should just go home and shut up.

Oooohhh... the scary Koch brothers are out to get us... the voting machines are out to get us... the teabaggers are out to get us... We're all gonna DIE!

If you're infected with the defeatist plague, don't spread it around-- get help.

[socialindependocrat]

21. One vote for each person----

Businesses are groups of people - both hierarchy and rank and file. If money is donated to support a political party by the hierarchy then an equal amount should be donated on behalf of the rank and file!!

corporate leaders do not OWN the company - they are employees of the company.

The Supreme Court is obviously off track. they are voting according to their political affiliation when they should be voting according to the laws of the land!!

Something needs to be done to shake up these people who have been mesmerized by the power they control! Our government is BROKEN!!

A government FOR THE PEOPLE! BY THE PEOPLE

We are in a very dangerous place right at the moment!!! The PEOPLE are not being listened to!!!!

WITHOUT A DOUBT - VOTE THEM OUT!!!! ( EXCEPT BERNIE!!!! YAY)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

22. I'm amazed at the number of people working so hard to turn a victory into a defeat.

I get pessimism. I get being disenchanted. What I don't get is how any Democrat could turn what has taken place in Wisconsin into a defeat. Let alone call it an example of an Oligarchy. These were Republican districts. They just lost two seats which they should have been able to hold onto if not for their insane overreaching and extremism. The constituents of these losing Republicans wanted to remove them from power and they did. That's a victory for the people. That's a Democracy at its best.

I've just had the glorious opportunity to witness real pro-Labor Democrats banding together against their oppressors and achieving real results. My heart is full to the bursting point with pride and and a renewed sense of the possible. I really cannot understand how anyone cannot feel the same considering the results of all the hard work of the Wisconsin Democrats.

[formercia]

44. It's a Democrat specialty

Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory


The fact that the GOP scum couldn't steal all of them is a Victory in my book.

[Lifelong Protester]

23. Sorry, Thom, calling bs on this one

The fact that we won 1/3 of the recalls is proof to me that democracy is most surely NOT dead in Wisconsin.

Many of us did NOT have a chance to vote in these elections. These were not STATEwide, in regards to who could vote. These were votes, some in republican districts that have not seen an elected democrat in 100+ years.

Not extatic here, but not out of the fight, either. Walker, we're coming for you.

[elocs]

25. Yes, Democrats took on 6 GOP incumbents and defeated 2 of them.

That is huge. That is democracy. That is people getting out and voting.

Yes, agreed, the OP is bullshit.

[Broderick]

30. There are two more

And they could win one back. It wasn't a great success in my opinion. Many people say, well look how much money the other side spent. Frankly, it seems both sides spent enormous money and the results are basically the same. We defeated one, barely, mainly because he was embroiled in personal life issues and the other was a swing back to my knowledge. If they gain one back next week, what was the net effect? Millions spent, and no real change.

[elocs]

33. You're welcome to your opinion, it was still a great victory.

Incumbents are not easily defeated.

Steps in the right direction are change and should be, even for a glass is half empty kind of person.

[sybylla]

43. Not a swing back in the least.

In fact, Kapanke nearly defeated a Dem congressman 10 months ago.

Kapanke and Hopper lost, not because of personal issues or some other flaw but because their very heavily republican districts have, in fact, a strong labor presence. Prisons, manufacturing, etc.

The rest haven't faced serious challengers (if at all) in their hugely safe districts in decades. Last night, Dems were breathing down their necks for the first time.

Republicans all over this state, including Walker, are shitting political bricks this morning.

If you're going to keel over and call it all a waste this early in the game, maybe you need to rethink your career in politics.

[sybylla]

40. Don't forget Hansen - who also kept his seat last month in a recall.

So far, we've won more than a third.

And I totally agree with everything you've said.

We are coming for Walker next.

[undeterred]

28. Democracy is alive and well in Wisconsin, thank you very much.

:kick:

[blogslut]

29. I think Wisconsin Democrats did damned bloody good

They got rid of two and shaved the opposition majority down to one. Wisconsin Democrats need our support more than ever so they can maintain their gains next week. They deserve our respect, our gratitude and our continued good will.

[BlueIdaho]

31. No time to throw in the towel

Democratic recalls are up next. Democrats took two reliably republican seats away from these lunatics. That is bloody marvelous. The tide is turning - and Scott Walker can be recalled soon.

Hells Bells gang, we are just getting started!

[madrchsod]

32. the most important man in wisconsin is-----

the republican that votes on the side labor issues.

two democrats won solid, as in granite, republican seats.

[Skidmore]

34. Oh, geez,

The sky done fell.

When will the left unite for cry out loud? Not just in one state but across the nation?

[Broderick]

35. I personally think Wisconsin has been a distraction

behind the curtain so many other states are doing similar things, meanwhile all the resources are gobbled up in Wisconsin. Look over there look over there and pay attention there as other states go hog wild doing it without spotlight. The net gain, after next week, is likely 1 seat. One seat that we barely won while the loser was embroiled in personal life issues. Frankly, I am disappointed.

[sybylla]

45. WTH are you talking about?

"...all the resources are gobbled up in Wisconsin"????

Can you explain that?

The net gain after next week will be 2 seats. Again, you have no evidence to the contrary but a bad case of the downers.

FYI - Not one person in Wisconsin said taking out 6 pukes in ABSOLUTELY SAFE districts was going to be easy. We took it on because it's all we have to stop the insanity.

Six pukes woke up this morning after the fight of their careers, from elections that were closer than they've ever had, from contenders (at least one of who was a political newcomer) who challenged them more than they ever have been challenged before. Those that didn't go down are wounded. Those pukes watching from the sidelines are quaking in their seats.

If you find that disappointing, if you find that a waste of resources, if you find that a distraction from "other states going hog wild doing it," I'm afraid there's not much I can do to help.

[jeff47]

55. It's not a zero-sum game.

Creating an activist base in WI doesn't remove it from other states. In fact, creating an activist base in WI makes it easier to create it in other states.

Get out from under the bed, change your pants, and help us take our country back.

[Justpat]

36. I did not consent to be ruled by the Koch Brothers,

Karl Rove, Exxon etc. I never consented to being a serf in the corporate kingdom.

So I am left to participate in the David and Goliath form of politics.

I will spend my time with others who also did not consent to be ruled by the royal court or corporations
looking for the biggest mother effing rock I can find to throw at the forehead of our corporate overlords.

And I totally get what Tom is saying - that our previous form of political power, our vote, has been
rendered obsolete by those with the bucks to buy their way into the halls of power.

I think Tom's point is that democracy as James Madison envisioned it is a goner.

" The People are the only legitimate fountain of power"
James Madison

[marions ghost]

62. David and Goliath politics

describes it well. It is a struggle to the death.

[oldlib]

37. I had to look up Oligarch

in the dictionary and it is a frightening term. I am hopeful that we can eventually stop these people and recover our Democracy.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

53. I prefer OILgarch

[Ganja Ninja]

42. At least it was a fight.

That's all too rare in liberal politics today. An A for effort and a C for results.

[Demonaut]

48. thank for the negative outlook..we took back two, TWO seats

formerly held by republicans, that's a win in my book
so could we have had more, sure but they were close and in strong republican districts, no matter
we still have more recalls coming so stick with an upbeat message and lay off the negative nancy bullshit

[bullwinkle428]

50. Kick for Thom talking about this now, to open his show.

http://tunein.com/radio/Progressive-1090-KPTK-s26619/

[tandem5]

68. a few years away? Oh puh-leez

Democracy died in Florida and now its undead version is roaming around from state to state. Damn! I'm cynical! You won't see me crying at any rainbows, double or otherwise.