Morality of Politicians Buying Votes

This morning’s Washington Post informs us that “Its Back”. I suspect it never really went away but the article “Earmark Spending Makes a Comeback” informs us that what
Congress Pledged in 2007 is already making a robust comeback.

“More than a year after Congress pledged to curb pork barrel funding known as earmarks; lawmakers are gearing up for another spending binge, directing billions toward organizations and companies in their home districts.

Lawmakers had promised to cut back on earmarks and mandated better disclosure of them after steady criticism that they were funding programs with little debate or oversight. The promises led to an initial decline in earmarks last year that was trumpeted on Capitol Hill. But the new data show that they are surging again, at least in the proposed Pentagon authorization budget, which sets out priorities to be funded in a later appropriations bill.”

We do have a few laws mandating criminal punishment for both politicians and voters when a voter buys a politician but as far as I know we have no such laws when a politician buys a voter.

A politician buying a voter appears to be perfectly legal; but what is the morality of the situation?

I would say that if there is any moral corruption in such a case that most of that moral corruption rests on the shoulders of the voter.

When a voter is bought by a politician that voter is displaying either ignorance of what a citizen in a democracy must understand or that voter is just morally corrupt.

We seldom read about citizens vilifying fellow voters when they accept this bribery. If we had proper intellectuals in this nation they would be leading the chorus of shame directed at such voter behavior.

Morality of Politicians Buying Votes

This morning’s Washington Post informs us that “Its Back”. I suspect it never really went away but the article “Earmark Spending Makes a Comeback” informs us that what
Congress Pledged in 2007 is already making a robust comeback.

“More than a year after Congress pledged to curb pork barrel funding known as earmarks; lawmakers are gearing up for another spending binge, directing billions toward organizations and companies in their home districts.

Lawmakers had promised to cut back on earmarks and mandated better disclosure of them after steady criticism that they were funding programs with little debate or oversight. The promises led to an initial decline in earmarks last year that was trumpeted on Capitol Hill. But the new data show that they are surging again, at least in the proposed Pentagon authorization budget, which sets out priorities to be funded in a later appropriations bill.”

We do have a few laws mandating criminal punishment for both politicians and voters when a voter buys a politician but as far as I know we have no such laws when a politician buys a voter.

A politician buying a voter appears to be perfectly legal; but what is the morality of the situation?

I would say that if there is any moral corruption in such a case that most of that moral corruption rests on the shoulders of the voter.

When a voter is bought by a politician that voter is displaying either ignorance of what a citizen in a democracy must understand or that voter is just morally corrupt.

We seldom read about citizens vilifying fellow voters when they accept this bribery. If we had proper intellectuals in this nation they would be leading the chorus of shame directed at such voter behavior.

I understand your allusion here, but it's difficult to say that a specific voter was bought when a politician aims an "earmark" at a whole block of voters. I will say that such earmarks are the cause for a lot of wasteful spending, and they should be specifically outlawed if only for that reason.

Coberst, are you from the D.C. area? My family gets the Post on Sundays, but I don't generally read anything political in it because they lean a little liberal. Of course the Washington Times is even worse with its conservative bias. This is why I get my political news from the internet. :)

P.S. I agree that earmarks are terrible and out of control. That sort of irresponsible spending is inexcusable.