Is Billionare Republican Sheldon Adelson Too Powerful?

[MildSteel]

There has been much debate of the powerful influence that money has over politicians in the US. Recently billionaire Republican Sheldon Adelson held an event at one of his hotels in Las Vegas where it was said that major Republican presidential hopefuls came and prostrated themselves before him in hopes of securing his blessings. Is Sheldon Adelson too powerful?

Here's an article

Dana Milbank: GOP candidates kiss up to billionaire Sheldon Adelson - The Washington Post

GOP candidates kiss up to billionaire Sheldon Adelson

When Sheldon Adelson, the world’s eighth-richest person, according to Forbes, let it be known that he was looking for a Republican candidate to back in the 2016 presidential race, these four men rushed to Las Vegas over the weekend to see if they could arrange a quickie marriage in Sin City between their political ambitions and Adelson’s $39.9 billion fortune.

Adelson was hosting the Republican Jewish Coalition at his Venetian hotel and gambling complex, and the would-be candidates paraded themselves before the group, hoping to catch the 80-year-old casino mogul’s eye. Everybody knows that, behind closed doors, politicians often sell themselves to the highest bidder; this time, they were doing it in public, as if vending their wares at a live auction.

As The Post’s Philip Rucker reported, Kasich, the Ohio governor, kept addressing his speech to “Sheldon,” as if he were having a private tete-a-tete with the mega-donor (Adelson and his wife spent more than $93 million on the 2012 elections) and not speaking to a roomful of people.

Walker, the Wisconsin governor, pandered unabashedly by giving the Hebrew meaning of his son Matthew’s name and by mentioning that he displays a menorah at home along with the Christmas tree. And Christie, the New Jersey governor, gushed about his trip to Israel and the “occupied territories.”

....................

Boy I'm telling you, what people won't do to make it these days!!! :lamo

 

[radcen]

Never heard of the guy. Honestly. :shrug:

 

[Fletch]

There has been much debate of the powerful influence that money has over politicians in the US. Recently billionaire Republican Sheldon Adelson held an event at one of his hotels in Las Vegas where it was said that major Republican presidential hopefuls came and prostrated themselves before him in hopes of securing his blessings. Is Sheldon Adelson too powerful?

Here's an article

Dana Milbank: GOP candidates kiss up to billionaire Sheldon Adelson - The Washington Post



Boy I'm telling you, what people won't do to make it these days!!! :lamo

Where is the story here? Adelson hosts a group of Republicans and they publically address him. Were they supposed to ignore the guy in their speeches? Newsflash: Politicians pander to the powerful for money and to the public for votes. I hear Dana Milbanks next great expose will detail that newly discovered phenomenon of the sun rising in the East.

 

[grip]

There has been much debate of the powerful influence that money has over politicians in the US. Recently billionaire Republican Sheldon Adelson held an event at one of his hotels in Las Vegas where it was said that major Republican presidential hopefuls came and prostrated themselves before him in hopes of securing his blessings. Is Sheldon Adelson too powerful?

Here's an article

Dana Milbank: GOP candidates kiss up to billionaire Sheldon Adelson - The Washington Post



Boy I'm telling you, what people won't do to make it these days!!! :lamo

Big money has owned politics for quite awhile now, so it's nothing that new. Their reach into the alliances of politicians and law lobbying is getting out of hand though. That won't change, till they get campaign reform and change how gov contracts are awarded.

We'll never remove all of high finance out of gov, because they're too much about the same goals and purposes.

 

[Helix]

Is Billionare Republican Sheldon Adelson Too Powerful?

in a word, yes. though he couldn't purchase the presidential election, he is currently trying to purchase a ban on online gambling, as it competes with his casino business. now while i can't really be bothered to GAF about online gambling because i don't do it, the idea that one guy in a democratic republic of 330,000,000 can even have a chance of buying such broad legislation is something that i find repugnant.

we should do whatever we can to prevent ourselves from becoming even more of a plutocracy. it's bad for democracy, and it's also bad for capitalism.

 

[Linc]

He was the one who bankrolled Newt Gingrich.
Remember the movie "WHen Bain/Romney came to town"?
We have Sheldon to thank for that.

He personally trashed his former lead attorney Shelly Berkley in the 2012 Nevada Senate election.
And now he invites "governors only" to the "Adelson" primary.
Which leads me to wonder, where were GOP governors Jindal and Haley, of Indian descent ?

Never heard of the guy. Honestly. :shrug:

 

[Kobie]

He didn't get a particularly good return on investment for that $93 million.

 

[MildSteel]

Where is the story here? Adelson hosts a group of Republicans and they publically address him. Were they supposed to ignore the guy in their speeches? Newsflash: Politicians pander to the powerful for money and to the public for votes. I hear Dana Milbanks next great expose will detail that newly discovered phenomenon of the sun rising in the East.

The story here is that wealthy individuals are exercising an enormous amount of influence in not only the financial system, but the political system as well. I see two trends that I think are very troubling. The first is that the US may be evolving into a financial oligarchy, and this is evidence to support that. The other thing is that we may be evolving into a highly intrusive and suppressive police state. Both things are very troubling.

So if I may ask, do you think it's problematic that wealthy individuals have such enormous influence on the political system?

 

[MildSteel]

Big money has owned politics for quite awhile now, so it's nothing that new. Their reach into the alliances of politicians and law lobbying is getting out of hand though. That won't change, till they get campaign reform and change how gov contracts are awarded.

We'll never remove all of high finance out of gov, because they're too much about the same goals and purposes.

It is getting out of hand, and while we won't get all of high finance out of government, what we don't want to happen is the rise of a financial oligarchy. That's the problem as I see it.

 

[tecoyah]

It is getting out of hand, and while we won't get all of high finance out of government, what we don't want to happen is the rise of a financial oligarchy. That's the problem as I see it.

It is already in place...CU made sure of it.

 

[sawdust]

There has been much debate of the powerful influence that money has over politicians in the US. Recently billionaire Republican Sheldon Adelson held an event at one of his hotels in Las Vegas where it was said that major Republican presidential hopefuls came and prostrated themselves before him in hopes of securing his blessings. Is Sheldon Adelson too powerful?

Here's an article

Dana Milbank: GOP candidates kiss up to billionaire Sheldon Adelson - The Washington Post



Boy I'm telling you, what people won't do to make it these days!!! :lamo

And you don't think Obama has Soros goop on his chin? Democrats have more mega wealthy donors than Republicans. Start a thread about that.

 

[nota bene]

Never heard of the guy. Honestly. :shrug:

Nor I...but I suppose this is how it is with the super-powerful. You know..."them."

 

[Gipper]

Soros gets fellated by any Democrat looking for public office for years, but I get to hear about Adelson.

 

[AJiveMan]

in a word, yes. though he couldn't purchase the presidential election, he is currently trying to purchase a ban on online gambling, as it competes with his casino business. now while i can't really be bothered to GAF about online gambling because i don't do it, the idea that one guy in a democratic republic of 330,000,000 can even have a chance of buying such broad legislation is something that i find repugnant.

we should do whatever we can to prevent ourselves from becoming even more of a plutocracy. it's bad for democracy, and it's also bad for capitalism.

Right. That's why it is bad that there are no limits to the amounts given by backers of politicians.

SCOTUS just opened the flood gates.

If people thought there was way too many political ads on television and radio, they ain't seen nothing yet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/u...rt-ruling-on-campaign-contributions.html?_r=0

 

[Fletch]

The story here is that wealthy individuals are exercising an enormous amount of influence in not only the financial system, but the political system as well. I see two trends that I think are very troubling. The first is that the US may be evolving into a financial oligarchy, and this is evidence to support that. The other thing is that we may be evolving into a highly intrusive and suppressive police state. Both things are very troubling.

So if I may ask, do you think it's problematic that wealthy individuals have such enormous influence on the political system?

No. The real problem is that the political system has to much power and influence over our lives, activities and private enterprise. If politicians lacked the power to peddle influence and grant favors, there would be no reason for anyone to attempt to influence them.

 

[Helix]

Right. That's why it is bad that there are no limits to the amounts given by backers of politicians.

SCOTUS just opened the flood gates.

If people thought there was way too many political ads on television and radio, they ain't seen nothing yet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/u...rt-ruling-on-campaign-contributions.html?_r=0

yeah, i have always enjoyed elections, but 2012 was a nightmare because of the ads and the nonsense. now there will be even more of them.

 

[DaveFagan]

in a word, yes. though he couldn't purchase the presidential election, he is currently trying to purchase a ban on online gambling, as it competes with his casino business. now while i can't really be bothered to GAF about online gambling because i don't do it, the idea that one guy in a democratic republic of 330,000,000 can even have a chance of buying such broad legislation is something that i find repugnant.

we should do whatever we can to prevent ourselves from becoming even more of a plutocracy. it's bad for democracy, and it's also bad for capitalism.

When gov't operates for business Corporations like gambling or big energy, it is more accurately CORPORATISM or Fascism. That is where we are at. Adelson has prevented online gambling to protect Casino gambling. Big Energy has promoted wars to acquire resources and in both specific instances, our gov't was bought and sold. I'm sure I didn't vote for that or read it written clearly and without obfuscation in the Mainstream Media.

 

[CalGun]

So here is a great idea. Let's toss out the first amendment and see how our democracy works when we only let those you agree with have their say!

in a word, yes. though he couldn't purchase the presidential election, he is currently trying to purchase a ban on online gambling, as it competes with his casino business. now while i can't really be bothered to GAF about online gambling because i don't do it, the idea that one guy in a democratic republic of 330,000,000 can even have a chance of buying such broad legislation is something that i find repugnant.

we should do whatever we can to prevent ourselves from becoming even more of a plutocracy. it's bad for democracy, and it's also bad for capitalism.

 

[TurtleDude]

No. The real problem is that the political system has to much power and influence over our lives, activities and private enterprise. If politicians lacked the power to peddle influence and grant favors, there would be no reason for anyone to attempt to influence them.

the left whines about wealthy people buying government but its the left that made government so much bigger than it should be

 

[AJiveMan]

yeah, i have always enjoyed elections, but 2012 was a nightmare because of the ads and the nonsense. now there will be even more of them.

When election times comes around, and I start seeing more and more political ads, I'll be watching even more of these;

WCIU, The U

WCIU has MeTV, MeToo, and The Bounce

getTV | Schedule

GetTV is strictly movies, as is

MOVIES! TV Network - Video

No political ads. Digital over the air.

 

[AJiveMan]

yeah, i have always enjoyed elections, but 2012 was a nightmare because of the ads and the nonsense. now there will be even more of them.

When election times comes around, and I start seeing more and more political ads, I'll be watching even more of these;

WCIU, The U

WCIU has MeTV, MeToo, and The Bounce

getTV | Schedule

GetTV is strictly movies, as is

MOVIES! TV Network - Video

No political ads. Digital over the air.

 

[grip]

It is getting out of hand, and while we won't get all of high finance out of government, what we don't want to happen is the rise of a financial oligarchy. That's the problem as I see it.

I hope, some how that they'll have an epiphany about how they're ruining the free market system they covet, with their obsessive controlling.

 

[TacticalEvilDan]

Is Sheldon Adelson too powerful?

No. Sheldon Adelson is an individual with a lot of money and connections, that's all.

Money is too powerful in American politics. It needs to be taken out or minimized as much as possible.

 

[Helix]

So here is a great idea. Let's toss out the first amendment and see how our democracy works when we only let those you agree with have their say!

classic strawman.

no one is arguing to remove anyone's right to free speech. i do not, however, support one person being able to purchase legislation, and neither should you.

 

[Helix]

When election times comes around, and I start seeing more and more political ads, I'll be watching even more of these;

WCIU, The U

WCIU has MeTV, MeToo, and The Bounce

getTV | Schedule

GetTV is strictly movies, as is

MOVIES! TV Network - Video

No political ads. Digital over the air.

i'll have to bookmark those. thanks.