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PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES A FRAUD BY THE RICH & POWERFUL OF AMERICA
US VP Biden & Rahm Emanuel Obama & Hillary after spending Billions on Election, all of them laughing at crying George Washington
America is the only country where to select the Presidential candidate by both parties; election campaigns kicks off every 2 years before the actual election for the 4 year Presidential term. The most unfortunate thing is if a sitting President is also in the race for re-election, they become the Campaigning President for their Party for their remaining term of 2 years rather than President of America working for solutions for the suffering Americans.
Some times there are almost a dozen candidates in both parties competing for the respective party’s Presidential candidate nomination. Some of them are there for name, fame and money attached to the coveted title of Presidential Candidate even after losing the race. The caucuses and primary elections/voting starts in January and ends in July of the actual election year for all the 50 states. Then the front runners go to their party’s national convention to be officially nominated as the Presidential Candidate in August for the challenger party or September for the party of the sitting President. Sometimes it can be a brokered convention when there is no clear front runner with the required number of delegates as stipulated by their party to be their Party’s Presidential Candidate. Then the Candidate is decided by the Super Delegates or un-pledged delegates.
In this write-up, you will discover the truth about the chaotic and corrupt primary system. Bursting with secrets, billions of dollars, and foreign powers influencing the elections; this system has many blemishes and does not represent the voter’s true intentions. America which is called the oldest Democracy and world Super Power do not have uniform Rules for its Presidential Primaries. All 50 states have different rules for Caucuses, Primary elections and rules for awarding delegates.
In Primaries votes are cast for Delegates not for the Candidate
A common misconception about the primary election process is that votes are cast directly for candidates by the voters. In reality, votes are cast in favor of the delegates in respective states using caucuses or general voting. Delegates can also be selected from slates submitted by the candidates, selected at committee meetings or elected directly at the caucuses and primaries. These elected/selected delegates or pledged delegates represent the candidates at their respective party’s national conventions where they vote to select the party’s presidential nominee along with un-pledged delegates, also known as super delegates of their party. Some times pledged Delegates do not represent the will of the voters who sent them to these conventions because they can change their vote for a different Candidate than the one they have been delegated to represent.
Caucus & Number of Caucus States
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia utilize the caucus system for either or both political parties. Caucuses are simply meetings, open to all registered voters of the party, at which delegates to the party's national convention are selected. When the caucus begins, the voters in attendance divide themselves into groups according to the candidate they support. The undecided voters congregate into their own group and prepare to be "courted" by supporters of other candidates. Voters in each group are then invited to give speeches supporting their candidate and trying to persuade others to join their group. At the end of the caucus, party organizers count the voters in each candidate's group and calculate how many delegates to the party convention each candidate has won. As in the primaries, the caucus process can produce both pledged and unpledged convention delegates, depending on the party rules of the various states.
Number of Primary States
Thirty states use the primary system, which generally takes on one of the following four forms: Open (voters can belong to any party, or none at all), Closed (voters are party members only), Semi-Open (voters are either registered party members or unaffiliated) and Semi-Closed (voters are able to vote with the political party they currently want to be affiliated with); with the Open Primary being the most prevalent. New Hampshire presidential primaries are open to independent voters only and closed for Republicans and Democrats.
How Delegates are Awarded
The state Democratic and Republican parties use different methods for determining how many delegates are awarded to or "pledged" to vote for the various candidates at their national conventions. Democrats use a proportional method. Each candidate is awarded a number of delegates in proportion to their support in the state caucuses or the number of primary votes they won. In the Republican Party, each state chooses either the proportional method or the "winner-takes-all" method of awarding delegates. Under the winner-takes-all method, the candidate with the most votes from a state's caucus or primary gets all of that state's delegates for the national convention.
Number of Delegates needed for Party nomination
For the Republican as well as the Democratic Party nomination; one needs a simple majority out of the ever changing number of required delegates. Both parties have different number of pledged & un-pledged/Super Delegates for all 50 states. In 2004, the Republican Party’s total delegates were 2,509. In 2008 it was 2,380 and for 2012 the number is 2286 with 117 Super delegates and to win the nomination one needs 1,144 delegates. The Democratic Party uses a base of 3,700 pledged delegates in each election cycle. For 2008 these numbers were 3409.5 state delegates elected after caucuses and primaries and 823.5 Super delegates; number of delegates needed for party nomination was 2,117. For the 2012 convention the pledged delegates are going to be 5,000 besides over 825 Super delegates or un-pledged delegates.
Two States are more Superior than the other 48 States
Two states are more equal, among the 50 equal states: Iowa and New Hampshire hold our nation’s first Caucus and Primary in January of the election year since the 1920’s. This heavily influences the selection process for the final results of Candidates for both parties. These two small, heavily white, 40% rural states have more authority on the making of the president. Together, Iowa and New Hampshire make up a mere 1.4 percent of the US population! Then their average population of African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Asians is 3.6 percent, while the nation as a whole is 35 percent minority.
In most recent Presidential primaries, the nominations have been all but decided by the first few weeks of voting, leaving large majorities of voters and states effectively disenfranchised. Within few days of Iowa Caucus; New Hampshire, Wyoming, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, and Maine hold their caucuses/primaries. Super Tuesday is in the first week of February or March with primaries/caucuses held in more than a dozen states of America.
Senator and later RNC Chairman and US Trade Representative William Brock (R-TN) once said in the Detroit News about front-loading; "Today, too many people in too many states have no voice in the election of our major party nominees. For them, the nominations are over before they have begun.”
For example, in 2000, both Vice President Al Gore (D) and Governor George W. Bush (R) had clinched their party’s respective nomination before thirty-three states, including many of the largest, had even voted. Also in 2000 when both parties had multi candidates running for the Presidency, voter’s turnout for both parties combine and all states combine was mere 17.7%.
In 2012 the Democratic Primaries were for name sake only since there was no challenger to President Obama. The Republican Party primaries that started in January was practically over on April 25, 2012 when Republican National Committee (RNC) declared Romney with over 600 Delegates the presumptive nominee. RNC was reading from the wall that his rivals can not get the required 1188 delegates. In the process RNC disfranched the voters of 16 states including big states like California and Texas.
The miserable showings of 2000 and 2012 clearly reflects that America’s main street has no confidence in the present system of caucuses and primaries manipulated by both political parties with corporate and foreign money.
Out side Groups with no accountability financing Campaigns
Americans are fooled with carefully choreographed very expensive, lavish and negative campaigns with twisted facts and data in the name of Presidential Primaries for 19 months. Besides Candidates spending millions directly raised by them from personal fortunes and supporters; millions of dollars are spend by outside groups — particularly super PACs (Political Action Committees). These PAC’s are openly funded by billionaires that have few limits on their activities and have been dominating the presidential contest for more than 3 decades. Sometimes cash infusion by these billionaires is more about knocking down a particular candidate rather than making sure their own candidate winning the primary. Recent example is casino mogul billionaire Sheldon Adelson sunk in $21 millions in Winning Our Future, a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich. Adelson knew it Gingrich has no chance of winning the nomination but to make sure Rick Santorum does not get the Republican Party nomination for 2012, he financed Gingrich’s campaign. Both Gingrich and Santorum were targeting conservative voters because Romney is not considered Conservative by these voters.
In May 2012 Adelson invited Romney to Las Vegas for a private meeting. After extracting a promise from Romney that he will keep the interest of Israel above American interest, Adelson gave $10 mil to a PAC “Restore Our Future” in June, which is run by former Romney aides and confidantes. This PAC till April 2012 raised and spent over $41 million during the Republican presidential primary on negative TV ads against Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. There are unconfirmed reports that Adelson had given millions to a 501(c)(4) PAC Crossroads GPS backing Romney and GOP candidates that does not have to disclose its donors.
According to the media Adelson wants to give at least $100 million to conservative causes supporting Israel and pro Israel candidates in the current election cycle of 2012. He wants to give most of his money to 501(c)(4) non-profits groups affiliated with political PAC’s, because they don’t have to disclose the names of donors. Sheldon Adelson is in effect openly bringing “foreign money” to the political process to Elect the US President since much of his fortune comes from casinos abroad. More over he wants loyalty pledge for Israel from the candidates he is giving campaign money.
Since the last 2 election cycles these 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups have grown in size and clout in the funding process to the presidential campaigns. These nonprofit groups never have to reveal their donors, suggesting that a significant portion of the 2012 elections will be wrapped in a vast cloak of secrecy. Millions of dollars are spent on mostly negative ads against their opponents from their own party. In this election cycle, Romney put in more than 19,800 TV ads as opposed to 4,100 TV ads put by his nearest rival Newt Gingrich in one state: Florida only. Romney spent more than $9 million and his super PAC’s spent another $10 million in the Florida primaries only.
Then we have wealthy individuals with deep ties to the business community, Wall Street and big Law firms. They give their own money and collect money from their wealthy friends and “Bundle” it together to give to a Presidential Candidate. In exchange the candidate after becoming President nominate many of them for diplomatic assignments around the world including prestigious destinations like London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Beijing, Canbara, and many more. Some are awarded with lucrative other jobs and contracts in the Federal government itself. The Huffington Post compared the State Department diplomatic list with information on 2008 contributions and found 28 individuals of ambassadorial rank who had raised a total of more than $14 million for President Obama.
Misuse of Campaign Funds by Candidates
Millions of dollars are spent by political campaigns to hire consultants to write speeches, produce ads, run polling, and perform other specialized work including paid mysterious strategic consulting. As usual, with all such vendors no information is ever revealed about salaries or other internal costs. Then 10-15% money raised by the candidates directly or from super PAC’s goes to “Fundraising Consultants” as a fee for raising funds for the candidate or advising the candidate on how to raise funds. This arrangement not only benefits several of those close to the Candidate but also makes it harder to determine how they are spending their donors’ money, because salaries and other details about outside operations are kept under secret wraps.
In 2008 Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin’s wardrobe with expensive clothing from high-end stores for over $150,000.00 was paid for by the Republican National Party classified as “Campaign accessories.” Then Democrat Senator and Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton said that campaign money was never spent on personal clothing but that potentially embarrassing purchases could be blended into advertising budgets.
In June 2011, Democrat John Edwards 2008 Presidential Candidate and 2004 Vice President Candidate was indicted by a North Carolina grand jury on six felony charges, including four counts of collecting illegal campaign contributions, one count of conspiracy and one count of making false statements. US Department Of Justice (DOJ) conducted a two-year investigation and spent millions of dollars into figuring out if Edwards used more than $1 million in political donations to hide his extra marital affair and fathering a child with his Campaign consultant Reille Hunter. In May 2012 after a six weeks long trial and nine days of deliberations; Jury found Edwards not guilty on one charge and could not reach a verdict on 5 other counts. The Judge dismissed the jury and declared mistrial on five counts. The US DOJ decided not to press charges on 5 counts with a re-trial but, if Edward had been found guilty he would have faced up to 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine. But the US DOJ would rather have Edwards walk free thanks to the bizarre US Justice system where the filthy rich and highly connected like Edwards don’t have to go to jail.
What a Super PAC can do to the Election Results & Voters intent
In mockery of Edward Trial the former US Attorney George Holding who launched the corruption case against Edward, was aided by a Super PAC funded almost entirely by his own family in his bid in GOP primary against Raleigh Mayor Paul Coble for Congress in North Carolina's 13th congressional district. Holding went on to win in part thanks to more than $500,000 in television ads from the American Foundations Committee a super PAC funded almost entirely by members of Holding’s wealthy banking family.
“In North Carolina, this was probably one of the first clear examples of what a super PAC is and how it completely changes the rules of the game,” said Bob Phillips, executive director of the state’s Common Cause chapter. He said Coble was “overcome by the money, and I don’t imagine that the average voter probably knew that it was from his opponent’s family.”
American President is Elected by Foreign Money
Everyone knows that American Israel Public Action Committee (AIPAC) and its numerous losely affiliated PAC’s and members committed to Israel will take out any sitting Congress member or Senator if they DARE speak out against Israel. If someone does not tow the Israelie line when running for office, AIPAC or one of its many affiliate PACs or members will give financial support to the candidate who will. AIPAC and its affiliates working for a foreign country Israel can give unlimited financial contributions to any US candidate for any public office. America has lost its democracy to a foreign entity Israel and its supporters. What if India, China, Russia, or Pakistan started delivering billions to Presidential or Congress candidate of their choice?
America is a Banana Republic when it comes to Electing its President
America is the only democracy that does not have a spending limit on Presidential candidates in Primaries as well as in the general elections. Moreover, the Presidential and Congress Elections are financed by groups with loyalty to a foreign country Israel. The 2008 campaign was the costliest in history, with a record-shattering $5.3 billion in spending by candidates, political parties, super PAC’s and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups on the congressional and presidential races. In the 2008 election, President Obama alone spent almost a billion dollars which includes over $650 million raised by him and the rest spent by his Party, super PAC’s and nonprofit groups. President Obama is close to the target of raising $1 billion for his campaign that his advisors set in April 2011 for him. This does not include the money that will be spent by the Party, super PAC’s and nonprofit groups on behalf of President Obama for 2012 elections. The expected tab for the 2012 general election is over $9 billion when 50 mil Americans are on food stamps, 20 million unemployed, 30 million underemployed, 70 mil with no health insurance, 16 million children facing hunger and 1.5 million homeless youth.
Dave Makkar
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Also Published in The Indian Panorama News New York USA & various web based News Papers in USA & India.
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