No one goes to court and wishes that they get a no-name public defender to represent their case.
Nobody expects that they will get a fantastic pro-bono attorney either to represent them.
In court, they practice law, and when your very life is threatened by lawsuit or potential jailtime, you want the best. You want someone who will listen to your side, find the evidence to support you, and then argue your case before judge and jury.
If you want that in the place where they practice law, why wouldn't you want the same treatment in the place where they make law?
If you want the right representation in court, you have to hire an attorney. To hire an attorney, you first research the attorneys available to you, and then you give the lawyer you find a retainer. This tells them that you are serious and can afford them.
You're expected to pay for the help you need. In the place where they practice law. Why not also in the place where they make law?
For some really bizarre reason, we expect candidates who run to represent us to self-fund. They're expected to raise the money - to work for us.
We don't do that with attorneys. We don't approach Goddard and Silverstein and tell them, "My court date is in January. Let me know when you've raised the money to represent me."
Everyone would laugh at that idea of forcing a lawyer to self-fund to represent us in court. But for some reason, we don't laugh at the idea of forcing a grassroots candidate to self-fund to represent us in the legislature.
Corporations retain lawyers all of the time. Those with tremendous assets pay up front to be represented by the best. Somehow, we look at the massive donations given to incumbents and think it's terrible. But it's not. It's smart business. They're paying someone to represent their interests, just as they would pay a lawyer to represent them in court.
Here's a pro-tip: there is no such thing as a "grassroots candidate" if the grassroots doesn't fund the campaign of the best person to represent them.
The 350 Plan I outline in The Goal is to Win shows you how to very affordably and easily do this.
Those who founded this country were willing to give their lives, fortunes, and honor. Any sacrifice we make today to obtain liberty is not nearly as costly, but it will require each of us to give of our time, money, and reputation.
If you want the best, you have to pay the best. Patriots fund the campaigns that will win them liberty. Otherwise, they are not the patriots they imagine themselves to be.
7 Comments
One of the differences is the public defender you mention is a public servant paid by our taxes. The law makers are also supposed to be public servants, but in reality, they are professional politicians many of whom have held their positions for decades. Our founders' intentions were to have someone from the community representing the citizens and then return to their private lives while someone else is willing to SACRIFICE a few years for public service. I have been at this a long time, but have never seen a better solution than those proposed by Tactical Civics.
The source of their money AFTER they're elected is irrelevant to the money necessary to get them elected.
I ordered my book last week and am just waiting on it!!
We get what we pay for … or Not! Grassroots candidates are everyday average people with not a whole lot of financial backing. So what you’re saying Brett makes a lot of sense. Would we have more people stepping up to the plate if they didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get elected?
The good news, Janine, is that it doesn't take a lot of effort or money from the grassroots. It just takes commitment.
And yes, many more would step up if they knew that they weren't doing it alone.
Good analogy, Brett.
The Lord said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt 6:21). The problem seems to be that our mouth expresses support for our candidate of choice, but our wallets remain parked in our pockets or directed to other "essentials." As you observed, the original generation pledged "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." Many today who scream from the rooftops about corruption won't even "sacrifice" a frou-frou coffee purchased once a week from a super liberal, woke Seattle-based business. Saying and not doing is hypocritical. So then "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). Thus, our money goes where our hearts and our bellies direct us. When we lose our freedom because of complacency, we will get exactly what we paid for.
I need to create a "like" feature for good comments.