4 ms·
Hmm. Carter may be telling the truth as he knows it - but Robert Caro's biographies of LBJ make it quite clear that there has been enormous monetary corruption
by neffy 11y ago
Hmm. Carter may be telling the truth as he knows it - but Robert Caro's biographies of LBJ make it quite clear that there has been enormous monetary corruption in US politics - going back to well before LBJ. See especially how his first senate race was financed in "The Path to Power"
- dnautics 11y agoForget monetary corruption: it was flat out political corruption. If anything the insurgent candidacies of Sanders and Trump show that being able to get media attention, raise money directly from the people, and in the case of Cruz (who is by no means a party favorite), raising money through super pacs, etc. Are a de-corrupting influence by opening up options outside of the anointed choices.
- ArkyBeagle 11y agoYou mean "Landslide Lyndon"? That was overt and egregious ballot box mismanagement. Common as dirt in Texas politics. Political contributions work more like "rock and roll fantasy camps" than they buy access. Not always; sometimes they do, but the candidate will usually not have the bandwidth to give you their undivided attention.
- neffy 11y agoIt's worth reading the book. Ballot box mismanagement, especially on that scale isn't free - and it seems quite clear that he was not only receiving cash handouts for his own campaign, but he was also acting as a channel for money to other democrats campaigns - and this was what allowed him to gain the influence he held within the party and especially the senate.
- ArkyBeagle 11y agoOh, absolutely. It's a master work. I did not mean to cast aspersions on Mr. Caro's work.