“The Campaign” in reality this Election Day
The comedy “The Campaign” was not just another hysterical Will Ferrel movie, it was in fact a satire on what American politics are actually like. With Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow playing characters named “the Motch Brothers,” there is a clear connection to the American Koch brothers who got rich off of oil and are now progressing their conservative ideas through absurdly large campaign donations country-wide. And, not surprisingly, the Koch brothers do not care about protecting the environment.
David and Charles Koch’s new hobby is backing the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) that focuses on contributing to small elections throughout the country. AFP (aka The Koch’s) successfully blocked wetlands protection and the introduction of high speed rail by making donations to Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker’s, campaign. In North Carolina, donations have helped elect candidates that are working to repeal environmental regulations including zoning codes and renewable energy standards.
Some may think that small, local campaigns don’t matter much in the big picture– but clearly it does as the Koch brothers have caught on. Local county elections in Washington determine whether a coal company can build a coal export terminal.
And it’s not just the Koch brothers who are contributing massive dollars to campaigns, many of America’s wealthiest contribute not just to their local campaigns but to other states to try and make the liberal states more conservative. For example, an Alabama businessman contributed, and a court allowed, $200,000 to the New York City Lhota mayoral campaign.
So, this election day remember to vote with your brain and not just whose name sounds most familiar to you, because that familiar name was backed by a lot of potential non-environmentally friendly bucks.
