IS THE 2024 PRESIDENCY (AND DOWN-BALLOT RACES) MUSK'S TO BUY?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The outcome of the 2024 presidential election and those down the ballot for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and their counterparts on the state side may well be decided by a recent arrival to our midst, Elon Musk.

For example, here is Musk’s contribution to the pro-Trump supporting ‘America Pac’ from July 3 to September 5, 2024. That's right. Musk has plunked down $74,950,000 (you read right $74.5 million) to make Trump his bought-and-paid-for president to trickle down to the other Republican MAGA candidates seeking to turn South Texas red. 

Toward that end, America PAC has put hefty down payments to buy the election for Republicans Ted Cruz For Texas U.S. Senate (against Colin Allred), Adam Hinojosa for Texas Senate District 27 (against Morgan LaMantia) and Mayra Flores for U.S. House District 34 (against Vicente Gonzalez).   

Musk – besides being the wealthiest man in the world – has aligned himself with an oligarchy in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, religious, political, or military control. They seek to buy control of the American government, including the representatives of South Texas, pure and simple.

In 2010 The United States Supreme Court decision on Citizens United v Federal Election Commission further tilted political influence toward wealthy donors and corporations. The repercussions from that decision are being felt more this year than ever before. Our Constitutional Republic and Democracy are at risk against political corruption now more than ever.

The SCOTUS decision overturned election spending restrictions that date back more than 100 years and said that corporations are ‘people’ who were protected by the First Amendment right to free speech and can spend unlimited money on elections provided they don’t coordinate with any candidate’s campaign. Independent spending has proven to be corrupt and non-transparent.

Super PACs for wealthy donors, corporations, and "special interest groups" are now spending massive amounts of money in elections. This has reinforced the public perception that a small group of Americans now control our elections and that the rest of us participating in elections means nothing. 

Basically, our democracy best serves the interests of the wealthy few, the corporations, and the "special" interest groups.

Case in point: Recent campaign finance reports reveal that three (3) people —- Elon Mish, Mirian Adelson, and Dick Uihlein —- tossed $220 million ($220,000,000) into pro-Trump funds just between July & September.

Oligarchy, as we stated before, is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. Please get out and vote to protect our democracy from turning into an oligarchy and/or a dictatorship of the rich.

Early voting starts on Monday October 21 (tomorrow) until Friday, November 1.