This could be interesting.

[Jolly]

And maybe enjoy some success...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/elon-musk-may-charge-his-america-pac-with-targeting-larry-krasner-and-other-progressive-das/ar-AA1v9E6S

[taiwan_girl]

@Jolly If he does, will you complain about him like George Soros? 555

[Jolly]

No, Soros started it.

When somebody shoots at you, it's not tit-for-tat when you shoot back.

[taiwan_girl]

Crazy (regardless of which side does it). Politicians are for sale, and money does buy influence, no matter what people say. But, not illegal, so it will continue to happen.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/05/politics/elon-musk-trump-campaign-finance-filings/index.html

Elon Musk plowed at least $260 million into efforts to send Donald Trump back to the White House, new filings show – a massive infusion that makes him one of the largest single political underwriters of a presidential campaign

[Horace]

@taiwan_girl said in This could be interesting.:

Crazy (regardless of which side does it). Politicians are for sale, and money does buy influence, no matter what people say. But, not illegal, so it will continue to happen.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/05/politics/elon-musk-trump-campaign-finance-filings/index.html

Elon Musk plowed at least $260 million into efforts to send Donald Trump back to the White House, new filings show – a massive infusion that makes him one of the largest single political underwriters of a presidential campaign

Money buys messaging to the masses, but money directly buying politicians is a stronger claim.

[Horace]

Soros didn't need to modify anything about his hand-picked DAs. They were already true believers. He just bought messaging to the masses in the form of advertising and boots on the ground door knockers and whatever else. It's rarely difficult to pick a true believer candidate for whatever belief system a wealthy person prefers. The practical effect is the same, but the only thing being leveraged is the malleability of the masses, rather than the corruption of individuals.

[taiwan_girl]

I think that access to the politicians ears is important and that is what the money buys.

Hypothetic question, but why was Elon Musk sitting on a private plane chatting with President Trump? Not because he was just some random guy who asked. Not just because he was a rich businessman. But because he was a rich businessman who "donated" USD$250MM to the campaign. People donate that kind of money expecting access.

[Horace]

For Elon, it's not just the money, it's also being associated with the "world's foremost genius", our Tony Stark. Of course Trump will find value in publicly being associated with him.

But my main point is that the influence money has over politics only rarely boils down to straight payoffs for votes. And it doesn't need to boil down to that, for money to have huge power over politics.

[taiwan_girl]

I agree with you 100%. For someone like Musk or Soros (but I dont know much about him), it is the access to power, being seen as a "plyer", as well as moving policy in a way that will help them or their businesses.