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Buying votes.

We Never Know

No Slack
Musk is giving away several $million to sign a petition about the constitution. People are saying he is trying to buy votes.

Harris is promising to give millions of people money if you elect me.
$25,000 home down payment, $6,000 child credits, $50,000 small business tax credits, etc. but as she said, I'm earning votes, not buying them. lol

IOW vote for me and I will reward you with $$

How is this not trying to buy votes?
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Musk is giving away several $million to sign a petition about the constitution. People are saying he is trying to buy votes.

It's illegal to reward people (in money or merchandise) for voting or registering to vote. To be eligible for Musk's giveaway, you have to be a registered voter in Pennsylvania, from what I read.

AFAICT, he launched this after Pennsylvania's voter registration deadline (Oct. 21), so it probably isn't reward for registering... unless he promised before the deadline that the giveaway would be coming.

Harris is promising to give millions of people money if you elect me.
$25,000 home down payment, $6,000 child credits, $50,000 small business tax credits, etc. but as she said, I'm earning votes, not buying them. lol

IOW vote for me and I will reward you with $$

How is this not trying to buy votes?

The whole idea of an election campaign is that each candidate presents their platform of actions that they'll do to get elected, then the voters pick the candidate who they think has the best plan with a reasonable chance of success.
 

We Never Know

No Slack
It's illegal to reward people (in money or merchandise) for voting or registering to vote. To be eligible for Musk's giveaway, you have to be a registered voter in Pennsylvania, from what I read.

AFAICT, he launched this after Pennsylvania's voter registration deadline (Oct. 21), so it probably isn't reward for registering... unless he promised before the deadline that the giveaway would be coming.

Haven't kept up with it so I have no clue.
The whole idea of an election campaign is that each candidate presents their platform of actions that they'll do to get elected, then the voters pick the candidate who they think has the best plan with a reasonable chance of success.

Vote for me and I will reward you with money for your kids, a house, your business, etc isn't a platform, its buying votes IMO
 

Soandso

ᛋᛏᚨᚾᛞ ᛋᚢᚱᛖ
Musk is giving away several $million to sign a petition about the constitution. People are saying he is trying to buy votes.

Harris is promising to give millions of people money if you elect me.
$25,000 home down payment, $6,000 child credits, $50,000 small business tax credits, etc. but as she said, I'm earning votes, not buying them. lol

IOW vote for me and I will reward you with $$

How is this not trying to buy votes?

False equivalence. Besides, the second example is literally her plans of action. Even Trump has talked about some of his plans of action if he were to be elected that will benefit the American people monetarily; Harris's just benefit the average American instead of the richest of the rich more directly and relevantly

Musk on the other hand? Possible election tampering. We will see what comes of that. Probably nothing, imo
 

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
Haven't kept up with it so I have no clue.


Vote for me and I will reward you with money for your kids, a house, your business, etc isn't a platform, its buying votes IMO
Yep, and I guess people like me are left out in the rain...again...

Single, filing single. No breaks here, that's for sure. I don't have kids at home, I am not a first-time home buyer, and I no longer own a business.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Haven't kept up with it so I have no clue.

I think it's interesting that you "have no clue" but still posted a thread.

Vote for me and I will reward you with money for your kids, a house, your business, etc isn't a platform, its buying votes IMO

You think it's wrong for politicians to propose policies that will make people better off?
 

We Never Know

No Slack
I think it's interesting that you "have no clue" but still posted a thread.
Have no clue about the deadline.
I do have a clue about him paying to sign the petition about the constitution and people saying its buying votes.
You think it's wrong for politicians to propose policies that will make people better off?
Vote for me and I will give you $25,000 home down payment, $6,000 child credits, $50,000 small business tax credits, etc., dont vote for me and you won't get it.
When its all about rewarding them with money for voting for me its buying votes IMO.

If you disagree that's great. You are free to do so.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Musk is giving away several $million to sign a petition about the constitution. People are saying he is trying to buy votes.

Harris is promising to give millions of people money if you elect me.
$25,000 home down payment, $6,000 child credits, $50,000 small business tax credits, etc. but as she said, I'm earning votes, not buying them. lol

IOW vote for me and I will reward you with $$

How is this not trying to buy votes?
But this is how Americans think, now days. "What's in it for me ..." This is who we have become.

Once upon a time most of us would have considered what's best for the country. But not any more. Now it's all about ME! This is what the end of an empire looks like.
 

We Never Know

No Slack
I think it's interesting that you "have no clue" but still posted a thread.



You think it's wrong for politicians to propose policies that will make people better off?
Also Musk isn't saying vote for Trump, he isn't even saying vote. Its sign my petition about constitutional rights and his $million give away is for any registered voter regardless of party AFAIK.
 
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9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Also Musk isn't saying vote for Trump, he isn't even saying vote. Its sign my petition about constitutional rights and his $million give away is for any registered voter regardless of party AFAIK.
Right. So if you're hearing this and not registered to vote, the message you'd get is "if I register to vote and sign, Elon Musk will send me $100 and put me in a draw for $1 million. And if I get my buddy to register and sign, Elon will send me another $100. If I don't register, I get nothing."

Do you see how this could be inducement to register?

BTW - remember the scandal with ACORN back in 2020? This is what they were accused of doing: rewarding people for registering to vote.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Musk is giving away several $million to sign a petition about the constitution. People are saying he is trying to buy votes.

Harris is promising to give millions of people money if you elect me.
$25,000 home down payment, $6,000 child credits, $50,000 small business tax credits, etc. but as she said, I'm earning votes, not buying them. lol

IOW vote for me and I will reward you with $$

How is this not trying to buy votes?
Both Harris & Trump are engaging in shameless
pandering by promising government largess.
Direct payments for voting or signing petitions
is vastly different because it's not about public
policy....just direct payments for acts.
Musks offer seems legally murky.
 
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Altfish

Veteran Member
Musk is giving away several $million to sign a petition about the constitution. People are saying he is trying to buy votes.

Harris is promising to give millions of people money if you elect me.
$25,000 home down payment, $6,000 child credits, $50,000 small business tax credits, etc. but as she said, I'm earning votes, not buying them. lol

IOW vote for me and I will reward you with $$

How is this not trying to buy votes?
Your first example is illegal; your second is legal and what every politician does when setting out their spending and tax plans.

They are totally different.
 

We Never Know

No Slack
Right. So if you're hearing this and not registered to vote, the message you'd get is "if I register to vote and sign, Elon Musk will send me $100 and put me in a draw for $1 million. And if I get my buddy to register and sign, Elon will send me another $100. If I don't register, I get nothing."

Do you see how this could be inducement to register?

BTW - remember the scandal with ACORN back in 2020? This is what they were accused of doing: rewarding people for registering to vote.
To register does not mean to vote.

OTOH..

Harris says vote for me and I will give you $25,000 home down payment, $6,000 child credits, $50,000 small business tax credits, etc.,

If I don't vote for Harris, I won't get those things is the picture being painted to get votes.
 

We Never Know

No Slack
But this is how Americans think, now days. "What's in it for me ..." This is who we have become.

Once upon a time most of us would have considered what's best for the country. But not any more. Now it's all about ME! This is what the end of an empire looks like.
Yep. Americans respond to the promise of reward, especially money.
 

Pogo

Well-Known Member
Right. So if you're hearing this and not registered to vote, the message you'd get is "if I register to vote and sign, Elon Musk will send me $100 and put me in a draw for $1 million. And if I get my buddy to register and sign, Elon will send me another $100. If I don't register, I get nothing."

Do you see how this could be inducement to register?

BTW - remember the scandal with ACORN back in 2020? This is what they were accused of doing: rewarding people for registering to vote.
Niggle, it was for people who were already registered and so that was avoided (probably at the recommendation of lawyers)
That said, it is still a very questionable ethical stunt which while "plausibly" deniable requires suspension of disbelief to pretend it was not partisan considering the person offering.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Buying votes has always been a popular election tactic. Doesn't always work, though, particularly if found out. Russia's costly attempt failed in last Sunday's election in Moldova, for example.
 
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Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Yep, and I guess people like me are left out in the rain...again...

Single, filing single. No breaks here, that's for sure. I don't have kids at home, I am not a first-time home buyer, and I no longer own a business.
That's why all that garbage fails.
 
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