Comments on: Childers Paid for Votes

By: Chris Lawrence

Chris Lawrence — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:52:36 +0000

I once wrote a research paper in grad school about some aspect of southeast Asian politics (either the Philippines or Thailand, can't remember which) arguing in part that outright vote-buying should be legal, so I doubt I would refer to this or "street money," which seems even more like vote-buying, as a "dirty trick." I am surprised that it's legal, but then again I thought "street money" was illegal too. More fodder for my campaign finance lecture in American government in the fall!

By: Mithras

Mithras — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:54:07 +0000

Or a $600 income tax rebate check to people who didn't pay $600 in income taxes?

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:09:07 +0000

You mean like the proposed federal gas tax holiday?

I oppose the holiday but letting people keep their own money and giving them yours is decidedly not the same thing.

By: Len

Len — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:04:17 +0000

Isn’t actually giving money to eligible voters much more problematic?

You mean like the proposed federal gas tax holiday?

By: Mithras

Mithras — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:25:28 +0000

People don't typically feel like they've received some great value if they're getting a BBQ sandwich and a beer. Free gas, though, strikes me more along the lines of a bribe. I understand your visceral reaction, but from a legal standpoint, both food and gas are things of value. The overall dollar value of giving someone free barbecue and beer is probably roughly equivalent to giving them a subsidized tank of gas.

By: floyd

floyd — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:55:37 +0000

It's not illegal because there is no quid pro quo.
I'd rather have them buy gas to fuel my car than buy media time to fuel the deception.
We have candidates spending hundreds of millions of dollars to say NOTHING more than sound bite platitudes. The voter can only speculate what those really mean.
This method might even be environmentally sound since your car emits less CO2 than the average politician giving a stump speech.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:39:37 +0000

As Anderson notes, campaigns hold events which give voters free food and drink all the time. Is that materially different, in your mind, than giving away free gas?

Yes. In the first instance, it's pretty typical to get fed when someone is entertaining you. People don't typically feel like they've received some great value if they're getting a BBQ sandwich and a beer. Free gas, though, strikes me more along the lines of a bribe.

By: sam

sam — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:34:37 +0000

Well, it wasn't Chris and it wasn't this instance. It was something I saw in passing on Instapundit. Still stand by what I said about "dirty tricks".

By: sam

sam — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Somebody, maybe it was Chris Lawrence, referred to this as a "dirty trick" -- and then it occurred to me that a dirty trick in politics is something your opponent thought of before you did...

By: Anderson

Anderson — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:28:01 +0000

I think Childers could've done it even better -- charged people the price of a gallon of gas when Bush became president, and paid the difference.

By: Mithras

Mithras — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:25:10 +0000

Joyner-
As Anderson notes, campaigns hold events which give voters free food and drink all the time. Is that materially different, in your mind, than giving away free gas?

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:31:35 +0000

almost as bad as the Dems back in '02 and '04, whining about Diebold and "black box" voting

I specifically stated in the very short post that I don't think this accounted for Childers' win. I merely think the practice itself is questionable.

By: Peter Principle

Peter Principle — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:00:37 +0000

Man, you conservatives are a bunch of pathetic losers -- almost as bad as the Dems back in '02 and '04, whining about Diebold and "black box" voting. Why can't you just accept the fact that the voters (including, apparently, even the neo-Confederates) have had enough of your sorry asses?

By: Anderson

Anderson — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:50:02 +0000

I think the giveaway sounds tacky, but it's not different in principle from a campaign event with free food & drink.

Besides, isn't giving money to voters what incumbents do? Childers was just demonstrating his qualifications for Congress.

By: Bithead

Bithead — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:48:17 +0000

I’m not suggesting that this practice is the reason Childers won, mind you. His margin of victory was substantial.

Are you really suggesting that the only people whose votes would have been swayed by the gesture, are the ones who actually got gas?