This week, the people in Virginia spoke and no amount of money could stop them. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor suffered a stinging loss to primary challenger Dave Brat. For those who despair the role of money in elections this primary upset is a curious case. Cantor, who raised nearly $5.5 million in funding, enjoyed a 26:1 cash advantage over Brat, who drummed up only $200,000 for his campaign.
The folks over at Public Action Campaign Fund have taken to the blogosphere to point out that the Cantor-Brat race was really about corruption in DC. More specifically, they claim that Cantor's time spent fundraising put him out of touch with his constituents causing his downfall. I don't state this often; they just might be on to something.
While money in politics remains a favorite punching bag of mainstream media and the campaign finance reform lobby, the Cantor-Brat race illustrates some deeper truths. As in so many races, money, while necessary, is not determinative of elections. Money does not "buy" elections just like college tuition money does not buy grades. It simply allots a place at the table for candidates to compete for an election and for citizens and groups to speak out about them or to criticize or praise candidates and public officeholders. That's democracy in action.
Cantor's unexpected loss illustrates an important principle of the Citizens United case that is often mocked by its critics: free speech and association matter deeply in elections. In Cantor's case, Brat spent less on his entire campaign than Cantor spent on fancy meals around DC. Brat won. Something about Brat's messaging, relationships with voters, and associations formed must have touched constituents deeply. Still scared about corporate interests buying elections? Brat won even when Blackstone and Goldman Sachs supported Cantor's campaign. That's a powerful example of just how powerful free speech is even when outgunned 26 to 1 in funding.
Brat's victory against Cantor illustrates another principle central to Citizens United. More speech, and more funding for speech, may be the best cure to root out corruption in politics. When more speech is welcome in campaigns, citizens are given the fullest opportunity to force candidates to pass simple sniff tests about their character and performance. Campaign finance rules liberalizing participation in politics, streamlining complicated election law rules, and opening up funding only help our nation.