New Yorker: Leaked recording of billionaires strategy to end HR1 & S1, BUT discovered...

[mysteryowl]

... the bill has wide ranging support when presented neutrally during their polling.

Jane Meyer does it again! She is revealing to the world the shady business of billionaires working to end democracy.

I found it telling that our (dems) messaging is at issue for few had even heard of HR1 & S1 . Also, that the tag line
"HR1 & S1 will stop billionaires from buying elections". This needs to catch on fire!

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/inside-the-koch-backed-effort-to-block-the-largest-election-reform-bill-in-half-a-century

The recording is at the link.

[MisterNiceKitty]

1. Are all billionaire's the same?

Is Bill Gates opposed to this legislation too? or Warren Buffet and Jeff Bezos?

I doubt this is the intent of course, the title of the post just comes across as painting with a broad brush.
Almost like a kind of class warfare is afoot.

The title of the piece best characterizes the subject better than that used in the post:

"Inside the Koch-Backed Effort to Block the Largest Election-Reform Bill in Half a Century"

There should be no surprise there.

[mysteryowl]

2. So, "Mr nice kitty" has some claws out today.

Let's focus on the point of the article instead. Okay?

This is awesome journalism and maybe you could say something about that?

[KPN]

18. +++

Yes, we all know that there are always exceptions and that the devil is in the details. The big picture is what is important.

[MisterNiceKitty]

34. I would hardly call it that (claws, lol)

The point is the Koch Bros. but this isn't anything new. I'm not saying the article isn't worthwhile though
just not surprising.

[dianaredwing]

4. Why is it only class warfare

when it is the little guy who is asking for a piece of the pie and not when the big guys take it all?

[MarcA]

6. +1000 n/t

[PutGramaOnThePhone]

9. +1

[renate]

11. THANK YOU!!

What an excellent point.

[KPN]

21. THIS. Most of us have been the victims of class warfare for 4+ decades now, not that the very

wealthy as a rule have ever not sought complete control. It seems for many of them, life is one big Game of Thrones.

[MisterNiceKitty]

35. you've got no argument from me

[OnDoutside]

10. The OP title should be "billionaire's" since it really refers to Koch, and your post subject

should be "billionaires" instead of "billionaire's".

[CaptainTruth]

12. We're not messaging about the differences between billionaires...

...that's not the point here & that's not the goal.

Step 1 of effective messaging is to make sure you thoroughly define the goal of the message. If you don't define the goal, you can't know when you've achieved it.

If the goal is to get big money out of politics then a simple, direct message like "stop billionaires from buying elections" is effective because people can easily understand it & support it. If you try to get "into the weeds" (details) about different kinds of billionaires you destroy the message's effectiveness & pretty much guarantee you won't achieve your goal.

[HUAJIAO]

15. "They only call it class warfare when we fight back."

[KPN]

22. Perfect nutshell synopsis.

[Iggo]

25. Not All Billionaires.

That’s a new one on me!

[DBoon]

32. Kind of like "No true Scotsman"?

[carpetbagger]

27. Most.

I saw some data once, I can't cite it. Most lean towards right wing donation, or centrist dem and right wing GOP. They tend to do so quietly, so while the "billionaires you know" might seem balanced, they aren't representative.

[Salviati]

30. And regardless...

the outsize influence of billionaires on the political process is bad, no matter whose side they're on. Much like gerrymandering, I'm against it in principle, even if it does help us out in some cases. On the whole, I'm willing to bet that our slate of liberal/progressive ideas are more effective and more popular and will win in a fair fight over the regressive and reactionary policies of those other guys.

[macone]

28. Class Warfare?

Class warfare is over.

We Lost.

[DBoon]

33. It is now a class massacre

They are shooting the civilians right now.

[DSandra]

3. These parasites are destroying the country and the world

Fuck them! Not all but the incredibly and grossly selfish ones.

No one should have the power to buy the government, laws, and people.

[KS Toronado]

5. "Americans for Prosperity" should be called what it really is.....rich people wanting more riches.

[erronis]

7. It seems that we are going to paint all billionaires/trillionaires/etc. with the same brush.

I'm sure we can find some evil mere millionaires. And maybe some benevolent billionaires. Maybe some soon-to-be trillionaires.
Us plebes will have to search for these special folk in the haystack.

They don't accumulate their wealth by being nice. Or paying taxes. Or not spending multi-thousands on accountants and lawyers and lobbyists.

Maybe some generous grants to look nice.

And endowments and college buildings and naming rights and swell friends.

But rarely someone like the purported St. Francis (who traded wealth for poverty and writing ) Except for the disgraced pharma people who tried to dupe billions and paid some price (only some price.)

Yes, there are some good apples in all barrels. If I were to want to trust someone with my life, it certainly wouldn't be one of the rapacious types.

[liberalla]

8. Woo Hoo! Way to go, Jane Meyer!

[mysteryowl]

20. She is a FORCE!!!

[jalan48]

14. While we obsess on Putin we have our own nefarious oligarchs operating right here in the USA.

[joetheman]

16. Why do they hate our freedom??? Why do they hate our democracy? Not ISIS. Our billionaires. nt

[mysteryowl]

19. POWER, they want THEIR power and that means squashing everyone else.

[joetheman]

17. Here the simple message Dems should be shouting and all ads should mention:

"IF YOU WANT BILLIONAIRES TO STOP BUYING OUR ELECTIONS, VOTE FOR THOSE WHO VOTE FOR HR1 & S1!!!

[GB_RN]

23. Here's The Thing

Most GOPQ voters don’t realize that most of the election buying comes from big-time GOPQ donors like the Koch-roaches, (now-deceased) Sheldon Adelson, etc. What they THINK is the case is that George Soros buys the election, single handedly for the Democrats. So by keeping “billionaires” from buying elections, the Qballs think they’ll be keeping the libs/Democrats from cheating the “honest” GOPQ. Meanwhile, in reality…

[bringthePaine]

24. let's crash the Kochsuckers once and for all! these bills are a solid start...

[burrowowl]

29. I'll believe corporations want democracy when

they want Citizens United overturned and dark money exposed.

[rickyhall]

31. We must pass HR1 or democracy's done

I dont give a damn if we have to hold a gun to the blue dogs' heads