From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!zeppo!mes Newsgroups: net.misc Title: Re: buying an election - (nf) Article-I.D.: zeppo.324 Posted: Mon Sep 27 12:14:34 1982 Received: Thu Sep 30 10:07:54 1982 #R:pyuxbb:-24500:zeppo:9300003:000:1090 zeppo!mes Sep 27 12:11:00 1982 Yes, but Mr. Wetherell, I hasten to point out that even if Mr. Lehrman "only" put up 50% of his own money, that's about $8.50 a vote, or three and a half millon dollars! Oh, lets give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he only put up a quarter of the money: that's 1.7 million dollars, folks! Oh boy, what a constitutional field day one could have here! Certainly, the constitution says that one has the right to spend one's money as one wishes, as long as it falls within the realm of the legal, and there doesn't seem to be any law against spending that much, now does there? However, it would certainly appear that even the most brilliant political theorist, the most accomplished statesman, the most worthy individual does not have a snowballs chance *anywhere* if the incredible financial support is not there... is that right? Well, I'm not sure - all I know is that $3,500,000.00 is more money than I will make in my entire lifetime, and he managed to get rid of it in less than a year... phew! If nothing else does, this'll provoke some comment!