Greed is the reason the cost of elections matter.

Corruption is the result of greed.

If the electorate doesn't pay attention to the politicians, the politicians will be bought by the elite to rule the electorate.

Quite simply, the many will be ruled by one or two wealthy and powerful people or entities.

The cost of the recent presidential election was about $5.3 billion.

Does anyone doubt a president can be swayed with that amount of money?

The contributors are familiar groups.

The top 10 industries or groups that contributed is the retired, lawyers & firms, securities & investments, real estate, health professionals, education, business services, miscellaneous business, miscellaneous finance, and computers and internet.

As the US economy was in freefall in 2008, why were these industries contributing billions of dollars to the presidential campaigns?

Possibly an admirable sense of patriotism was the reason.

Even if patriotism was the reason for the political contributions, where did the money come from?

We are in economic collapse and people are losing their jobs from these industries every day.

The industries that had contributed more to a campaign than at any other time in history, are now laying off workers, and are surviving with governmental bailouts.

And as everyone knows, taxes will need to be raised to pay for the bailouts.

This is being accomplished with the leadership and genius of the politicians who are elected to be the representatives of the electorate.

So far the only part the electorate has played is to be the audience for this fascinating show.

The game of greed and power have probably simply spiraled out of control.

The other explanation is that the strategy of the greedy and powerful are working extraordinarily well.

The cost of an election probably wouldn't be so interesting if it wasn't so out of proportion to the economic times.

The cost of an election also begs attention when the companies contributing the extraordinary sums are receiving bailout money from the government that was elected..

The US government is meant to be run by the representatives of the American electorate.

Unfortunately, the system may have been corrupted by the powerful with the use of wealth.

COST OF 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

COST OF 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

The cost of 2008 presidential election may be counted in more than dollars.

The intricate pattern of monetary exchange is indeed beautiful and complex. It also may have cost us our democracy.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

It is never too late. The power garnered by the corrupt could only have occurred with the thoughtless complicity of the electorate. If that is the case, adhering to a different set of values than the one of money can change the direction of the USA.

THE US CONSTITUTION

The US Constitution still contains the guidelines for a democracy that can work for all citizens, not just the elite. The cost of 2008 presidential election has been high. In the end the realization of what is truly valuable could be the result.