14 notes

Winning elections is more expensive than ever. Ironically, that makes it harder to ‘buy’ elections, in the conventional sense, because both sides in marquee elections raise so much cash that each marginal dollar becomes less consequential (principles of inflation apply). But it also means that candidates are required to spend an egregious and unprecedented share of their time getting rich people to donate. Having a Rolodex full of wealthy folks is a prerequisite for winning federal representation. It’s also a recipe for having your priorities shaped, if not determined, by hours spent going over rich-guy problems.