Analysis of the Political Landscape for Fair Elections
A new memo has been released by Celinda Lake, Mark McKinnon, and Drew Westen that analyzes the prospect for Fair Elections in light of polling, focus groups, and recent election results--and it's clear that voters are angry.Some of the key highlights of the memo:"Voters are angry at what they perceive as an out-of-touch Congress, and candidates who run without a populist, pro-fix Washington platform that focuses on the needs of working and middle class Americans are in deep trouble." • Voters will reward those who support bold solutions to address the problem of special interest money in Washington. An overwhelming majority think the Citizens United decision was bad for democracy, but they recognize that addressing Citizens United with “fixes” like requiring shareholder agreement or requiring transparency are just the tip of the iceberg. This is not a partisan issue. Anti-Washington sentiments are not confined to the right or to the Tea Party. They are found across the political spectrum. • Voters want big change. Voters are skeptical of incremental change around the edges. They believe the system is fundamentally and institutionally corrupt. The problem is not a few rotten apples but a system that corrupts even those with the best intentions. Only sweeping, dramatic change can have an impact and produce results that frees Congress to address issues that affect their lives. Click here to read the full memo.