Latest news with #politicalparties
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
US politics has become a contest between billionaire-funded entities drawing voters to their brands
American political parties are in disarray. Instead of being the engines that organise and drive the country's politics, their roles have been supplanted by partisan social media influencers, non-profit political groups, super political action committees (super Pacs) - and the billionaires who fund them and consultant groups they hire. A few generations ago, it was the political parties who organised politics. In many communities there was an organic connection between the parties and their members. The parties provided structure and access and some benefits to those who belonged to and participated in their work. That is no longer the case for most Americans. Today the parties have become 'brands' to which voters are asked to identify. They are fundraising vehicles raising money for party operations and the consultant groups who now provide the 'services' — message testing, voter data files, advertising and communications. In other words, the connection between most voters and political parties are largely limited to a loose identification with the brand and to being on lists for fundraising emails, text messages, social media posts or robo-calls asking for money or votes. While these efforts do raise some funds, the amounts pale in comparison to the hundreds of millions contributed by billionaire donors who fill the coffers of the parties and the increasingly powerful liberal or conservative 'unaffiliated' interest groups and political action committees. It has been reported that in the 2024 presidential contest one of these liberal independent committees raised and spent almost as much as Kamala Harris's campaign (about $1 billion) on messaging that was sometimes at cross purposes with the Harris campaign they were supposedly backing. Republican independent expenditure groups did much the same, with one spending a quarter of a billion dollars targeting Arab and Jewish voters with disinformation mailings and ads designed to suppress their votes. In the end, the billions spent by the campaigns and the independent groups deluged voters with messages and counter-messages causing confusion and alienation. Even when the parties provided funding to consultants to make personal contact with voters by hiring canvassers to go door to door or phone banks to call voter lists, the efforts were perfunctory and unconvincing because the canvassers or callers had no organic ties to the voters they were engaging. This is in marked contrast to decades ago when the canvassers and callers were local elected party captains engaging their neighbours with whom they had personal ties. This lack of organic connection with voters, the weakness of the party infrastructures, and the barrage of television, social media and other forms of digital messaging are some of the reasons why party identification is at an all-time low, with 43 per cent of Americans now identifying as independent and Republicans and Democrats tied at 27 per cent each. The parties have also lost their role in governing their electoral operations to the billionaires and interest groups. Look at the role they played in defeating congressional Democratic incumbents in the last election or how billionaire donors are stepping over the will of Democratic voters in New York City's upcoming mayoral race. During the primary contest, these interests spent $30 million in advertising in at attempt to smear and defeat a progressive candidate, Zohran Mamdani. Now, despite Mr Mamdani's decisive win as the Democratic Party candidate, the same billionaires have pooled their money to support an independent in the November election. To date, Democratic officials have not criticised this move. The party has a rule stipulating that consultants who work against Democratic voter-endorsed incumbents or candidates will not be eligible for party-funded contracts. This sanction has not been applied to those groups that accepted contracts to defeat pro-Palestinian incumbent congressional Democrats, a clear demonstration of the 'official' party's weakness in the face of billionaire spending. After losing 1,200 federal and state legislative seats during the Barack Obama era and suffering defeats in two of the last three presidential elections, I was initially optimistic to see two headlines in The New York Times last week, one of which read: 'Democrats Are Mulling a 2026 Campaign Pivot: 'We Need to Rethink Things'.' It appears that autopsies are being conducted to understand why Democrats are losing. After reading the piece, however, it became clear that some of the groups conducting the autopsies are the very independent expenditure-funded consultants that are the source of the problem. Their solution: better message testing, better use of social media and digital messaging, etc. In other words, pay us more and we'll dig the hole deeper. No lessons learnt. Parties need to reform and reconnect with and earn the trust of voters by rebuilding their state and local infrastructures What needs to happen and is still not on the agenda is for the parties to reform and reconnect with and earn the trust of voters by rebuilding their state and local infrastructures. There is a push in that direction being made in the Democratic Party by some of its newly elected leaders. Spurred on by party reformers, they have greatly increased the funds being given to state parties, reducing the amounts sent to outside consultants. But as long as the billionaire-funded groups remain the dominant players in the political process, the Democratic reformers will continue to face an uphill battle to wrest back control over elections and party affairs. Meanwhile, the Republican side appears to be a lost cause. US President Donald Trump and his Maga movement have been able to take advantage of the weakness of their party's organisation forcing it to submit and transforming it into a wholly owned Trump subsidiary. Republicans who opposed Mr Trump's conquest have either been demeaned and silenced or drifted away to form PACs that have focused their resources on 'anti-Trump' advertising campaigns which while celebrated by some Democrats have had no impact on rebuilding the Republican Party. The bottom line is that American politics has become less a battle between two competing organised political parties and more a contest between billionaire-funded entities waging virtual campaigns attempting to lure voters to endorse their 'brands'. Until a significant effort is made to regulate the corrosive role of big money in politics, this will continue as will voter disaffection and alienation.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU citizens see political corruption as the norm
Across the European Union, 69% of citizens believe that corruption is widespread in their country, according to a new Eurobarometer survey published this week. Despite efforts by the bloc's authorities, more than half of EU citizens do not believe anti-corruption measures are effective and doubt their impartiality, according to the poll; 51% say the problem is prevalent among political parties. Distrust was particularly high in Greece, Croatia and Portugal, where perceptions of widespread corruption were also the most common. Greece reported the highest rate at 97%, followed by Croatia at 92% and Portugal at 91%. At the opposite end of the scale, Finland and Denmark recorded the lowest levels, at 21% and 28%, respectively. The most notable increases since 2024 were observed in Luxembourg, up nine percentage points, and Ireland, up six points, the report said. Among respondents, 80% say it is never acceptable to give money to public services for a favor, with Portugal (98%), France (90%), and Spain (90%) leading that view. Over 70% oppose doing favors in exchange, while only 5% believe it is always acceptable. Roughly three‑quarters say giving gifts to get services is never acceptable. Older respondents, aged 55 and over, are more likely than younger ones to reject corruption. The survey also explores perceptions of corruption by institution and region. More than half believe corruption is common among political parties, and 46% say it's widespread among politicians at all levels. Two‑thirds of EU citizens say high‑level corruption cases are not pursued sufficiently, and more than half consider government anti‑corruption efforts ineffective. Nearly half doubt that measures are applied impartially. Only 5% of respondents reported experiencing or witnessing corruption in the past 12 months, and just one in five of them filed a report. In addition, fewer than half of those surveyed know where to report corruption cases. The survey also shows that men are more likely than women to personally know someone involved in bribery.
The Standard
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Standard
MAGA-style 'anti-globalist' politics arrives in Japan
Sanseito Secretary General Sohei Kamiya speaks during a debate with leaders of other political parties at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2025. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
CBC
21-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
2 provincial byelections in August will be a test of public mood, says UPEI political scientist
Social Sharing When voters head to the polls in two byelections next month, UPEI political science department chair Don Desserud says the results will offer insight into public attitude toward Prince Edward Island's political parties. Provincial byelections will be held on Aug. 12 to fill vacancies in District 9, Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park, and District 15, Brackley-Hunter River. Premier Rob Lantz announced last week that cabinet had passed an order in council to allow Elections P.E.I. to issue the writ of election for both districts. Desserud noted the timing of the elections may pose a challenge for turnout, as many Islanders take vacations during the summer months. "[It's] always tricky to get people to pay attention to byelections at any time. That's why, normally, turnout in byelections is a bit low," he told CBC's Island Morning Monday. "We're really interested to see the turnout. You know, this is the Island where people love to vote, so we'll see how that one goes." Both districts were most recently held by Progressive Conservatives politicians. At least three candidates have been confirmed in each district so far. What are the stakes? The byelection results can't change the balance of power in the provincial legislature. Lantz's Progressive Conservatives have a comfortable majority in the 27-seat P.E.I. Legislative Assembly with 19, compared to three each for the Liberals and the Green Party. Still, Desserud said the byelections could act as a referendum on the governing party. "Are people happy with what's going on with the Lantz government, with the PCs in general, and do they see this as a way of sending a message?" District 15 is the riding former premier Dennis King held until he resigned as party leader and MLA in February. He is now Canada's ambassador to Ireland. Kent Dollar is the district's P.C. candidate, Nicole Ford is running for the Liberals, and provincial NDP Leader Michelle Neill is that party's confirmed candidate. Meanwhile, District 9 became vacant after Natalie Jameson resigned to run federally as the Conservative candidate in Charlottetown. She lost to incumbent Liberal Sean Casey. Jameson's husband, Dennis Jameson, has been confirmed as the PC candidate for District 9. Carolyn Simpson is running for the Liberals and Simone Webster is the NDP candidate. Desserud said the outcome could be particularly significant for the opposition parties. "Let's say the Greens win one and the PCs win the other — on the assumption the Greens have candidates — that puts the Greens ahead and they become the Official Opposition. That would be a major boost for that party. They'll be getting back to where they were in 2019," he said. "[For the] Liberals… it's not quite as much of a major boost, but they will see this as [being] on the road back." And if the PCs lose both ridings, with the other two parties each securing one, the legislative dynamics wouldn't shift, but this outcome could serve as a "wake-up call" for the governing party, Desserud said. He added that in byelections like these, local personalities matter more than party platforms as voters focus more on issues close to home. "Normally, what you would see in a byelection is people saying, 'OK, this is what's really bothering us right now. It's not so much the bigger pictures. It's the local picture. What are you able to do about it?'" Desserud said. The deadline for candidate nominations is Friday, July 25 at 2 p.m. Elections P.E.I. said advance polls will take place in both districts from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2; Monday, Aug. 4; and Friday, Aug. 8.
Free Malaysia Today
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Urimai backs Bersatu's proposal for a United Opposition Front
Urimai chairman P Ramasamy had attended a meeting with PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday, along with leaders of parties outside the government bloc. PETALING JAYA : Urimai has expressed his support for Bersatu's proposal for a United Opposition Front, comprising political parties outside the government bloc, to champion national interests. Urimai chairman P Ramasamy said such a bloc could serve to consolidate the strength of the opposition, especially among Chinese and Indian voters, in anticipation of a more profound electoral shift in the next general election. 'While the Chinese and Indian communities may currently be cautious about fully backing the opposition, PN must take the initiative to engage with them meaningfully. 'It is only through mutual effort that both the non-Malay communities and PN can find common ground to overcome the Pakatan Harapan-led coalition,' he said in a statement. Ramasamy's statement comes after a meeting held by PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin with leaders of several parties outside the government bloc yesterday evening. Besides Ramasamy, others who attended included Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir, acting Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, Putra president Ibrahim Ali, Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy chairman S Arutchelvan and Malaysian Advancement Party president P Waytha Moorthy. At the meeting, Ramasamy said Muhyiddin gathered diverse views on how to enhance the opposition's appeal, particularly among the non-Malays. 'There was a collective recognition that both Bersatu and PAS need to adopt a more inclusive approach in strengthening ties with these communities,' he said. 'It was generally agreed that while the Indian community showed increasing receptiveness toward PN, the Chinese community remained hesitant, although disillusionment with the DAP appears to be growing.' PSM's Arutchelvan said although they welcomed the proposal, no decision had been made by the party to join the proposed grouping. 'Any decision for PSM to join a new coalition can only be made by the party's congress, in line with its commitment to the principle of democratic centralism,' he said in a statement. FMT earlier quoted analyst Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara as saying that the small parties and groups Bersatu is seeking to ally with are not significant enough to attract more votes to help the opposition topple the government. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman's Chin Yee Mun said non-Malays and non-Muslim voters would need more convincing to back the proposal. United Opposition Front may still work Ramasamy, in a separate statement, said whether the United Opposition Front succeeds or not will depend on a multitude of factors. He said under present circumstances, PN is clearly weaker than the PH-led coalition. 'However, political and social conditions are not static — they evolve, often rapidly. 'Politics is about a range of future possibilities. As one statesman remarked on the eve of a great revolution, the future belongs to the weak who comprise the majority. 'The timely formation of a unified front to bring both Malays and non-Malays under one political umbrella is a critical development in filling the existing lacuna.'
