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Lessig's Mayday PAC Scrambling To Cross Crowd Funding Finish Line

Posted by timothy on from the latest-midnight-they-could-find dept.

First time accepted submitter SingleEntendre (1273012) writes "Time is running out for the Mayday PAC to reach its latest crowd funding goal of $5M. The total currently stands at $4.5M. Led by Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, the Mayday PAC seeks to reduce the influence of money in US politics by 2016, primarily by identifying and supporting congressional candidates who share this vision. If phase 2 is successful, with matching funds the total raised will be $12M. A self-imposed deadline arrives at of midnight tonight, July 4th, Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HAST)." (And now the total's at $4,700,066.)

9 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Not a dime from me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is the other group that they're oppressing money?

  2. Re:Screw you, Lawrence by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 4, Informative

    No matter what you think of Lessig, I think that the experiment in and of itself is interesting.

    It's something that hasn't been tried before. If it doesn't work, a bunch of people are out parts of $5mil. If by some miracle it DOES work... well, then what's the use of decrying it?

    The only real downside I can see to this PAC is that people who might have put their time/money into some competing and more effective project put it into this one, pinning more hope on the strategy than maybe they should have.

    But unless we see it attempted at least once, we won't really know what effect it will have on the political climate.

    So go for it, Larry & Gang! I hope it works.

  3. Creative Commons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Lessig is the guy who helped get Creative Commons off the ground. He actually does stuff. This isn't the same old story.

    1. Re:Creative Commons by brownerthanu · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes. He has a long history of general badassery. There are only a few people who I can think of who have the reputation and intelligence to properly navigate a project of this scale, and he is certainly one of them. I really hope that the fund makes it through to the next stage. It looks like it will.

  4. Re:If you take the bait by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you take the bait, and this ends up getting funded, do not be surprised when we replace one "ocracy" with another "ocracy."

    That's all this guy is after - putting power in his own court by using the government to oppress people who do not agree with his point of view.

    At least Lessig has a track record and is putting his name and reputation to this.

    Then again, AC has a track record and , er, oh well.

  5. Re:I wish I could do this! by brownerthanu · · Score: 4, Informative

    it has to at least have the appearance of being a continual stream

    Yes I think you are right. I, personally, am willing to support the fund year after year. I hope others will too.

  6. Re: If you take the bait by JWW · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Exactly! I refuse it to support Mayday until they stand up for term limits. I asked a question about this in the "Ask Larry about Mayday" story. Then they used a "new and improved format" for his responses and dumped my +5 rated question.

    Mayday, if they succeed will give us the same thing we have now, lifetime legislators. Their voucher system will end up a Massive advantage to incumbents.

  7. Made it! by MalleusEBHC · · Score: 5, Informative

    The counter just tipped over $5M a moment ago. Let's see what Lessig et al. can do with our (mine and 47K other people's) money.

  8. crossed the 5million mark at about 9:30 Eastern. by emptybody · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well Done All Around.
    It sickens me that we must "buy back" our democracy.

    --
    comment directly in my journal