Joseph Kennedy, father of John F. Kennedy said, ““Don't buy a single vote more than necessary.”
How many votes is it necessary to buy in order to call it a ‘win’? What does it take to buy a vote? Do you invite someone to meet for pleasant chatter over coffee? Maybe it’s free concert tickets, but that will only work for some. Elders, 55 and over, are already entitled to free concert tickets. Those who put lots of money in gambling machines earn ‘comps’ with which they can exchange for concert tickets and other freebies. How about a free hotel room, gas comps to a destination and back and/or a free meal at a casino restaurant?
Some bought and paid for votes ‘payoff’ more so than others. What would be the point in spending money or comps on those who sit quietly and pretend they don’t see the world around them or someone who puts their hands over their ears because they don’t like what they are hearing and, as a result, keep their mouths shut. Those are not the votes that are worth worrying about because those people will fall for whoever’s story sounds the best or whoever’s face looks the most honest.
On the other hand, someone with a face and a name who is on the fence or takes a new-found interest in their government might be a good ‘product for purchase’. Someone who is vulnerable because of circumstances or simply has not been subjected to the real truth because of the distance from the center of circle might be a worthwhile vote purchase.
How easy it is to convince some that the person to vote for is the person who provided them with a hotel room, gas comps, restaurant meals or concert tickets! What they were lacking in truth about a politician has now been answered. “He/she was nice to me. That’s all I need to know. Vote, bought and paid for.
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
Theodore Roosevelt
