“At some time in political history, Democrats married Unions as their partner in the path to political power, and Republicans married the business community as theirs. The Democrats’ partner is faithful, the Republicans’ partner cheats all the time.”
I learned this rule early on in politics, and it was really emphasized during the two years that Republicans had a majority in the Assembly and the Governor’s office. Unions always gave 99% of their money to Democrats for Democrat elections prior to the 1994 election, and gave even more in the 1994-6 election cycle to unseat the Republicans. The Business Community, prior to 1994, gave about 60% of its money to Democrats with the excuse that they had to because “the Democrats are in charge of the Legislature.” In the 1994-6 election cycle, they gave about 55% of their money to Democrats because, according to one lobbyist I spoke to, “they might be in charge again, and we have to maintain those relationship.”
What? The unions don’t use such a lame excuse to justify their campaign contribution behavior, and besides, when the Democrats take over power, they just attack the business community anyway.
This rule continues today. Watch what happens with campaign money in Washington. ALL of the union money will go to Democrats, and the business community will give around 50% of its money to Democrats. The Democrats’ partner is faithful. The Republicans’ partner cheats all the time, no matter the circumstances.
If anyone wants to prove the power of Republican principles in politics, they only need look at this rule. Given how political contributions are distributed, the great mystery is not why Republicans lose elections, the question is why they don’t lost more elections. When 100% of the available money available from a well funded politically active interest group and 50% of the money from the other politically active interest groups goes to the same party, how does the opposition party ever win? The only answer is the voters belief in the principles espoused by the opposition party. Republicans have changed the political landscape in this country because of their political principles, not because of the amount of money they have raised. Democrats always outraise them.
Why does the business community do this? Why do they sell out Republicans on a regular basis? I have one story that may shed light on this mystery of politics. One day, I received a visit from the head of one of the leading representatives of the business community. He had come to my office to try to persuade me to support an increase government power to regulate some area of business in California, saying the business community supported this expansion of government power. I had just read Ludwig von Mises book “Socialism,” which was written in 1932, where, towards the end of the book, Mises said it was unreasonable to expect an association of entrepreneurs to take a principled stand against socialism. I used to get angry with the business community for selling Republicans out, since we spent more time fighting for free enterprise and less government. The business community did not care of about free enterprise or small government. They only cared about how to minimize their subsequent encounters with government and to keep their competitors out of their business. That was as true in 2002 as it was in 1932. I told this representative of the business community that it was my job to protect free enterprise and small government, and, since it was unreasonable of me to expect the business community to do the same, i wouldn’t get mad at them for doing what they do, I would just do my job, which was to protect freedom, free enterprise and shrink the size of government.
The role of Republicans in government is not to maximize their contributions from the business community, it is to shrink the size and power of government. The business community will always cheat on Republicans with their contributions, so Republicans should stick to their principles, which is what gets them elected in the first place, despite the extreme unbalance in political contributions. The contributions will catch up as the Republicans obtain and maintain power, and they will only obtain and maintain that power if they stick to their principles.