Sorry, Duck
After its board met Wednesday to discuss its options, [Americans Elect] released a statement Thursday indicating that it would not change its rules, effectively disqualifying all the candidates from participating in an online nominating convention that was scheduled next month.
The future of the organization, which raised $35 million and spent two years trying to create a new method for nominating a presidential ticket, remains unclear.
“As always, we thank everyone who has helped build this organization and are grateful for the work, efforts, and trust so many people have placed in Americans Elect,” the group said. “We are continuing the Americans Elect mission of creating more choice in our political system, giving candidates unaffiliated with the nominating process of either major party an authentic way to run for office and giving the American people a greater voice in our political process.”
Even as it poured $15 million into the laborious process of getting recognized as a party in each state, Americans Elect did not ignite grass-roots enthusiasm or attract prominent candidates, despite its backing by an array of top political and business leaders.
Maybe the reason for that is that actual grassroots enthusiasm generally starts with actual grassroots activists rallying behind a person or cause they believe in, and not some anonymous millionaires trying to buy it. I’m just saying.
Too bad that bi-partisanship and statesmanship isn’t something that gets people mad and angry and activates folks like the majority parties have honed to a science to get their base motivated.
Love your blog Kuff, but I would hold your tongue when speaking about anonymous millionaires buying elections when certainly the Dems will be having enormous funding via Superpacs too that will not be totally transparent. There will be oodles of $$$ that will be flowing in the general election this fall via such entities.
The Obama campaign is actually pretty good about disclosing its donors:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/05/unmasking-bundlers
As for super PACs, it’s not Democratic ones you need to be concerned about:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/21/1093437/-Obama-campaign-maintains-cash-edge-but-Romney-and-his-Super-PACs-loom
Be all that as it may, my point was that Americans Elect was much more astroturf than grassroots. It was way more popular with Beltway pundits than with actual voters:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/20/1092752/-Two-Daily-Kos-SEIU-polls-show-why-Americans-Elect-failed
That’s why it failed. The anonymous millionaire bankrollers were just icing on the cake.