Sell out the Vote Campaign

[Russell Kanning]

The Voters:
50% of the voting age population routinely stays home on election day. Are they fed up with the system? Are they disappointed by the two major parties? Are they desensitized by the thousands of political ads they see on Television? [V]ote-auction.com will allow these voters to profit from their democratic capital. By offering their voting capital at auction, these traditionally non-voting citizens will be participating in the democratic process and the expanding economy.

The campaigners:
Voteauction.com also provides a more efficient method for campaign investors to obtain their objectives. When a major communication company contributes over a million dollars to a political party, do they hope that this investment will result in increased profits? Of course they do! Although they may have a net worth of billions of dollars, most corporations do not spend 1 million dollars without some hope of a return on their investment. Unfortunately, 10-15% of this investment is taken off the top by the campaign consultants. [V]ote-auction.com allows campaign investors to get their dollar's worth by connecting them directly with the voters.

[Russell Kanning]

cnn report about it :

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0010/24/bp.00.html

[Russell Kanning]

A short history of the U.S.A. Election Market

From the "Father of our Country," George Washington, to the mafia-connected political bosses of the prohibition era, to today's politicians funded by "soft money", big money has often had an important influence on United States elections.
Here are a few examples of vote-buying in America:

In 1757, George Washington ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Burgesses. For this election he purchased more than a quart and a half of alcoholic beverages for each of the 391 voters in his district.

A candidate in the 1838 New York mayoral election paid $22 per uncommitted vote.

In 1907, Congress passed legislation to prohibit corporations from making direct campaign contributions for federal candidates. Unions were banned from making the same types of contributions in 1947. By the late 1960's and early 1970's candidates began ignoring these laws by accepting large donations. Insurance executive Clement Stone gave $2.8 million to Richard Nixon's 1968 election campaign. The Milk Producers Association gave $2 million for Nixon's re-election campaign in 1972. (Nixon subsequently supported an increase in milk price subsidies.) Although these instances are examples of big corporations purchasing influence with candidates as opposed to purchasing influence with voters, it is significant that the donations were made to Nixon's campaign. This money was then used to pay for advertising, and other expenses. It is media advertising that now influences the voter.

Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) purchased the Seattle Seahawks in 1997. He then called for a referendum to ask for $300 million in state money to build a new stadium. Instead of obtaining the thousands of required signatures necessary to put an issue on the ballot, he simply paid for the costs of the election. He then spends over $4 million in advertising to convince the people of Washington to vote for the new stadium. The result: The Football/Soccer stadium is expected to be finished in 2002.

[Russell Kanning]

WILLIAM WOOD, CHIEF COUNSEL, SECY. OF STATE OF CALIFORNIA: Very briefly, what this individual has described is illegal in California. The basis in California, of course, of your vote, is that you cannot sell it, you cannot offer to sell it, you cannot buy people's votes. That has been the law in our state for some time.

VAN SUSTEREN: Is it a quid pro quo, though? Or how different is it from this, sort of, like, you know, you give your $1,000 campaign contribution on November sixth and November eighth you show up at your Congressman's office and say: Remember me? I'm a big contributor. I would like to talk to you about some project? How is that different?

WOOD: Well, it's absolutely different because it's fundamentally different. The actual buying of the vote is just that. It is that simple. It is the buying of some individual's vote. One of the things in the United States that we have prized above all is the vote. It is an inalienable right. And in every state in the United States, to my knowledge, the process of buying or selling votes is illegal. It is a federal violation.

[Russell Kanning]

maybe the better way to say it is...
If you want to influence my vote best .... don't fund a campaign or stop in my town and shake hands ... give me some money.

We could also have a picnic where campaigns have the opportunity to "influence" many voters directly.

[Russell Kanning]

STUART BIEGEL, INTERNET LAW PROFESSOR UCLA: Well, selling votes is not legal. We need to start with that. But the question is, is that really happening here? This site started as a masters thesis and was sold to Hans. Clearly Hans has stated that they're not actually buying and selling votes. So, in reality, this could just be a form of satire or street theater, and if so, arguably protected under the First Amendment.

[Russell Kanning]

I bet Roger will like some of the other stuff these guys are doing:

http://ubermorgen.com/2007/pressfolder/UBERMORGEN_PRESS_E.htm

maybe we will have to contact them and get the site rolling again for the primaries and 2008 presidential election.

I have never been so excited about politics before. Isn't Democracy great?

[toowm]

I would want some assurance that you would actually make the vote and not get arrested by the election judges.

[Russell Kanning]

I promise to keep secret the winning influencer.
The actual winning issue, candidate etc.... will be made public.
I will keep all bidders apprised of higher bids up until right before the vote.
If I am somehow not able to cast my vote, I will not have earned the money and will return it.

We were thinking we could film ourselves in the little booth casting the vote. I could come out after accomplishing the mission and proudly state that I voted for Hillary or whoever and have some evidence that I indeed did vote for that person.

[Dan]

I will start the bidding at +1 karma per day for 4 years.

[Russell Kanning]

for which voter ... for which vote?

I have to figure out what the next thing I can vote for is.

I could also start taking bids for the primary and general presidential election.

[error]

Vote swapping OK, says court. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/08/06/state/n160624D40.DTL&type=politics

[Dan]

I'll vote money if Russel runs for Keene Mayor. 

[Russell Kanning]

I'll vote money if Russel runs for Keene Mayor. 

I don't quite understand.

[error]

You mean Figurehead of Keane, The Shire, right?