The Hillary corruption straw man.

[pat_k]

18. Inside the beltway sphincter, the cash and the access...

...that cash buys is just one aspect of the problem.

Another aspect, which is much harder to counter, is the extent to which politicians, journalists, and other "powerbrokers" (folks with money) are deeply ensconced in the DC social scene. "Bad-mouthing" your "friends" is impolite. God forbid you might get dirty looks from across the room at a cocktail party.

Refraining from action that would "rock the boat" has become a survival instinct. Refraining from rocking the boat out fear of losing the cash needed for re-election is part of it. But another part is social. If you don't get re-elected, you'll lose your position in this little bubble social world. You'll become an outsider, adrift without "your friends." We are social creatures. This is a powerful force.

Beltway "groupthink" is spread to people "out here" because pundits remain embedded in the political culture for year, after year, after year. It's a vicious and damaging feedback loop.

We've got to reform the financing system, but we also need to find creative ways to inject ourselves and shake it up their world. The difficultly is not getting co-opted in the process. (How many times have we seen good people get sucked in and transformed.