Taming the Consultants

Via Steve Benen, it looks like the major Democratic presidential candidates are moving to start paying consultants in a rational manner rather than using a dumb percentage system that's frought with bad incentives and conflicts of interest. Of course, from the point of view of a citizen, this is really the least-bad aspect of the consultant racket on the Democratic side since on some level if politicians want to waste their money that's on them. But it highlights the extraordinary level of power that an entrenched and not-especially-successful circle of campaign consultants has inside the Democratic Party and if the money situation's turning around that may mean that out-of-control consultant power as a broader phenomenon is on the way out.

For more on the general phenomenon see this from Amy Sullivan and my review of Bob Shrum's book.

Comments

Can you imagine you imagine how much money Bob Shrum would make if he weren't an incompetent fucking idiot and actually WON an election?

Posted by calipygian | December 27, 2007 11:47 AM

"Can you imagine you imagine how much money Bob Shrum would make if he weren't an incompetent fucking idiot and actually WON an election?"

Historically, probably not much more than he is making now. It's like coaching - as long as you have run a campaign in the past, they will throw money your way.

Posted by Scott Ferguson | December 27, 2007 12:13 PM

For several years I have been making extreme and completely undocumented accusations (based entirely on armchair conjecture) against the consultant bloodsuckers. The facts that have emerged during that period have tended to confirm my speculations and my darkest fears. Call me Sherlock.

It's boggling how little most of us know about the inner workings of the Democratic Party, but it isn't really surprising because powerholders don't want to be seen. (Contrast the minute detail available about voter and consumer demographics and behavior). Read your Foucault, folks.

The relationship between the people and the government in a democracy is tricky -- it can't be as simple as "The Government is Us" but if the government is completely Them democracy is lost. The parties mediate the gap, but the same problem holds. The Democratic Party certainly is not simply Us either, .

By and large, the media is certainly Them. Except maybe for Matt here.

So is democracy doomed in the US? Tune in next week for our next episode and find out?

Posted by John Emerson | December 27, 2007 2:29 PM