IPac on partisanship
Jerimee left a comment on the Are You a Republican? post that raises a few interesting questions:
I have little interest in belonging to a PAC that would potentially support a Republican candidate. The GOP platform directly contradicts the stated goals of IPac.
People often say that they are unwilling to let any of their money support any Republicans; others say the same but for Democrats. We understand this dilemma. Protecting innovation and creativity is very important, but for many people other issues are important as well, such as the war, or taxes, or many others.
At the same time, the best members of Congress on our issues are members of both parties. Rick Boucher is the leading advocate for DMCA reform, but Joe Barton, the ranking Republican on House Energy and Commerce Committee, has been a strong supporter.
What to do? IPac gives you several options for contributing. First, you can contribute directly to IPac. This gives us the most flexibility to use the money to help whatever candidates will have the most impact on freedom to create and innovate, but also may go to someone whose other positions you don't support. Second, when we make specific candidate endorsements, you can donate directly to one of those candidates via the IPac Web site - a practice called "bundling" so that your money goes specifically to that candidate, but they know that you contributed because of IPac's endorsement.
Coming up tomorrow: does the GOP platform directly contradict the goals of IPac?
4 Comments:
Jerimee is wrong. Neither of the two major parties takes a strong stance on patent, copyright, or trademark issues. That's why it's so important to get information directly from the candidates about their positions, instead of following Jon Stewart or Rush Limbaugh directly to the "straight ticket" lever.
A more important question is if compatible third-party or independent candidates would be considered. Too many PACs spend their time chasing after the "sure thing" of a major party candidate and, in the process, skip over better candidates that would have a chance if the PAC would just support them. What a catch 22.
IPac should donate to any candidate that supports the goals of IPac regardless of their party. IPac should decide who to donate money to based on how much it would impact the issues that are important to IPac. If you don't want any of your money going to one party, or one person regardless of the positive impact that person's winning would have on intellectual property issues then don't donate money to IPac. Simple.
http://ipaction.org/principles.html
1. It seems to me that the GOP distrusts scientific research and seek to limit what can be studied.
2. The GOP believes that creativity is a luxury reserved for the wealthy.
I understand the need for IPac to maintain a focus, and I believe the fundamentalist movement that the GOP represents is directly at odds with the sort of world IPac is working toward.
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