Chavez wins Venezuelan election

[sabrina 1]

157. Yes I have felt that way at times, but then when I really think about it, I realize it is not term

limits that is the problem, it is the obscene amount of money that buys seats for people who if we had a politically savvy electorate an a truly free and questioning media, could never have their images and track records polished during election season to fool low information voters the way they do.

Money, the Media, thousands of unelected think tankers working to ensure that big Corps get their representation in Congress and on the SC (see Thomas eg and how his SC seat was bought by Citizens United and how he paid them back when it was needed), lobbyists etc are the problem. And the Republican owned voting machines which we cannot check, which is unbelievable frankly, which are so easy to manipulate.

Remove all of the above, shorten election season to six months at most, give free air time to viable candidates to make their cases in person, no ads, and term limits would not matter.

Even with all that they have to work with, money etc, they still haven't succeeded in totally taking over this country, but they do make it possible for morons like Bush, Cheney et al to be placed in positions of power.

Which tells me that removing all the, what should be illegal, influences on our elections would result in far better choices.

The reason that Chavez was able to overcome all of those influences, and they were present in Ven, outside money, the Right's control of the media there, Capriles family owns or owned a huge part of the media there, is because Venezuelans still remember what it was like before Chavez, they still recognize the deceptions, they still fear a return to the old days when Ven. was controlled by big money and 80% of the people lived in poverty and illiteracy.

Plus, Chavez has given them concrete proof that his promises are not just campaign rhetoric. Capriles was forced to pretend he was supportive of some of those policies because they are so popular now that no Right Winger can win an election there as they can here, by slamming his policies. But the people did not trust him and his right wing coalition, and good for them. Our electorate is not as informed as the people there still are.