Jul. 23, 2007
Harry Potter and the Myths of Anti-Reform
By Chris Heagarty
RALEIGH - With the release of the latest Harry Potter movie and the final novel in his series of adventures, tens of thousands of North Carolinians have been enjoying fantastic tales of mythical beasts, unspoken evils, secrets and conspiracy.
Perhaps as many people have been reading a different kind of fiction: the accounts by some members of the media regarding proposed campaign reforms facing the legislature in its final hours. Some of what has been written is only slightly less incredible than the floo-powder networks or the mind-controlling horcruxes in the Potter novels. Unfortunately, it is also far less interesting.
So, as a tribute to the end of J.K. Rowling’s series -- and in an attempt to try to liven up the subject of money and politics -- let me explain some of the recent fiction surrounding campaign reform legislation, Harry Potter style.
"Harry Potter and the Million-Dollar Myth": Harry encounters columnists brainwashed by campaign consultants (also known as “the Money Eaters”) into believing that it takes $1 million to run a competitive statewide campaign in North Carolina. Accepting the myth that any campaign reform that provides candidates, and their manipulating Money Eaters, with less than a million bucks is doomed to fail, they widely denounce campaign reform in their “Daily Profit” newspaper.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Truth Prince": Every student at Hogwarts knows the mantra of their professor of politics, John Davis (the real-life executive director of the pro-business research group NCFREE), that “Money flows to power!” However, another “Daily Profit” writer dismisses attempts to break the hold special interests have over elections, and twists this lesson to try to re-educate the masses into believing the half-truth that “incumbents have great advantages over challengers, therefore any campaign finance reform is incumbent protection.” Support for business as usual at the Ministry of Magic appears to win the day.
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Front-Group": You-Know-Who spends millions of dollars to try to influence elections and eliminate political enemies. Harry’s attempts to reveal these schemes and machinations are dismissed by “research” full of half-truths and gross omissions of fact in support of You-Know-Who’s right to influence these elections from a mysterious new group cloaked in the legitimacy of an “independent research organization,” but created and funded by You-Know-Who.
Luckily for Harry and his friends, all of these perils are easily overcome and he, Ron and Hermione can solve these challenges without missing a single Quidditch match.
The million-dollar myth simply isn’t true, and even a first-year student can look up the actual campaign spending data from recent years which quite clearly proves that many successful state candidates have run and won using far less, many with “the Money Eaters” as their managers.
In regards to the benefits of incumbency, incumbents do have real advantages over challengers, but their primary advantage is in fundraising, the very advantage campaign reform helps to negate. Survey data shows name recognition for many of these officials is actually very low, until rebuilt by expensive campaigns. Campaign reform creates more competition between ideas and candidates rather than protect incumbents.
And finally, if reporters and voters would simply use a critical eye and follow the money, looking to see who funds and leads various anti-reform research, they’d be led back to some of the most politically powerful campaign donors and campaign consultants in the state. Think their opinions about reform are fair and balanced?
Many of us will miss Harry Potter’s world as the series ends, but unless voters and the media pay attention, we’ll just as surely grow to miss the days when government was more accountable to the people, as our influence over our own government slips away while special-interest groups and the politically connected hoard more power for themselves.
These powers that be are not as mysterious as the Dark Lord Voldemort, but their tactics are remarkably similar, telling everyone that things are just fine and that taking action is an undesirable evil. Like the Ministry of Magic officials who dismiss Harry’s cries of alarm, will we only pay attention when it’s too late?
Chris Heagarty is the executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a Raleigh-based nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving elections in North Carolina.
743 W. Johnson St.
Suite E
Raleigh, NC 27603
919.839.1200