More Than Ever, Business Chooses Republican Ticket

[Thurston Howe IV]

"Despite common perceptions, business -- especially big business -- has never been monolithically Republican. Executives have been far too pragmatic for that. They have long used campaign giving to buy their way into the offices of both Republicans and Democrats.

Until now."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64582-2004Sep5.html

[Catherine Vincent]

1. Because it's always about dead presidents.

[skooooo]

2. Live by the sword..

..you die by the sword...

[not systems]

3. Because all three branches are controlled by one party.

The one party state is in the making.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. They're idiots

Democrats are always better for the economy. Anyone with two brain cells to send impulses through understands that.

It's got to be a culture thing, because from a pragmatic point of view, it's like trading in a year-old Mercedes for a broken-down 1979 Ford.

--bkl

[Thurston Howe IV]

5. It's access they're after; Grover Norquist

Businesses support candidates to gain access and influence policy. Whatever the long-term implications are for their policy, in the short-term, their influence on government benefits them directly. For example, changing the laws around interstate banking allows for huge consolidation for the big banks. They need votes of both democrats and republicans to get bills out of committee, and to control the debate on the floor -- no poison-pill amendments, etc.

Republicans control the 3 branches of government, and are dominant at the state level in many states. Grover Norquist (quoted in the article) has consolidated influence over lobbyists on K street so that they're mostly Republican in sympathy. The media are biased in favor of the "Reds." Everywhere a businessman looks, he sees a republican under the bed. Thus, if they want to get their bills passed, it seems they're increasingly coming to the conclusion that they need to deal with the republicans. Grover Norquist is trying to make it an exclusive thing.

If you're not familiar with his work (he's a very dangerous man - vile and effective), check it out here:

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Grover_Norquist

[Dogmudgeon]

7. Grover Norquist

Oh, yes, I'm quite familiar with "baby Damian" Norquist.

Brilliant man; far more so than the easily-led suits he has built his power base upon.

And yet, I wonder how his Wahhabist links would play in the neo-con movement.

--bkl

[bushwakker]

6. it can't be about the bottom line

a second term is a train wreck - these people are fools.