That the system is driven by donations is true, but misleading -- the maximum amount that any person or PAC can donate to a candidate is $5000. Only by acting

That the system is driven by donations is true, but misleading -- the maximum amount that any person or PAC can donate to a candidate is $5000. Only by acting collectively can this sort of thing make a difference. Large organizations like the National Rifle Associations have influence not because they can bribe politicians through donations, but because their large membership means that an endorsement or condemnation from that organization can cause the members to act individually in support of or against a politician. For that matter, political parties in the United States are really no more than giant PAC in themselves -- they help candidates by narrowing their field of support to a single candidate in elections and by helping them get the signatures necessary to get on the ballots (which are technically open to anyone, not just those affiliated with a party), in exchange for which members of the party are expected, to some degree, to support party-line initiatives.