John Jay Hooker Quotes

The democratic process is supposed to be one person one vote, but it turns out that money is talking louder than the votes.

Pennsylvania’s election system is stacked against voters. Both the technology by which voters cast ballots, as well as the byzantine and burdensome laws determining recounts in the state, are a national disgrace. The process underway in Pennsylvania this week is hardly an effective or comprehensive recount. Despite citizens across this state stepping up and demanding their right to verify the vote, every obstacle imaginable – legal, bureaucratic and political – has been thrown in their face. Pennsylvanians’ constitutional and civil rights to have their voices heard and their votes counted have been stripped from right under them.... Together with Michigan and Wiscoinson recounts we have a political horror show.

Republicans support opening the floodgates to special interest money and suppressing the right to vote. It's just plain wrong.

What has become clear to many Americans is that the electoral system is bankrupt. As the political process becomes more privatized, outsourced, and overrun with money from corporations and billionaires, a wounded republic is on its death bed, gasping for life.

There's a lot of fuss on the Left about election irregularities, like, you know, the voting machines were tampered with, they didn't count the votes right, and so on. That's all accurate and of some importance, but of far more importance is the fact that elections just don't take place, not in any meaningful sense of the term 'election.'

Until we totally change the way we elect our leaders, until we remove private money from public campaigns, lying will be the de facto method of governance in this country.

Do the elected officials in Washington stand with ordinary Americans - working families, children, the elderly, the poor - or will the extraordinary power of billionaire campaign contributors and Big Money prevail? The American people, by the millions, must send Congress the answer to that question.

If Mr. Bush and Mr. Forbes don't get most of the votes, they should be arrested for wasting money.

All elections revolve around and are often resolved by who raises the most money. That's unfair. I'd like to see that process changed, but it seems once you win and get to Congress, that doesn't happen.

The last two elections were stolen. They were stolen and so we will not rest until we reclaim our democracy and this is what today is all about.

Democracy, if it meant what our forefathers said, that would be great, but unfortunately it's been corrupted by this funding and funding of campaigns. There's a much better way to do it. There could be a small amount of money given by every taxpayer to be dedicated to candidates.

I don't trade my vote for money.

You would like me to say that the veil will be ripped from the voters' eyes sometime between now and November, thereby restoring the proper version of Democracy to the House and Senate. I won't say that, of course. The simple reason is, I don't know.

When you have incidences like the Trayvon Martin verdict, the erosion of certain fundamental rights like voting, it just reminds us that we're always one Supreme Court justice vote away from losing the progress that has been made.

The people of this country, not special interest big money, should be the source of all political power.

By what right do you refuse to accept the vote of a citizen of the United States?

It is very important at this juncture to eliminate the influence of big money and special interests in politics.

Bad government is made in the poling places of this country.

Representative institutions are of little value, and may be a mere instrument of tyranny or intrigue, when the generality of electors [voters] are not sufficiently interested in their own government to give their vote, or, if they vote at all, do not bestow their suffrages on public grounds, but sell them for money, or vote at the beck of some one who has control over them

Here in America we work out our differences, not with civil wars, but with spirited elections. We resolve our disputes, not through acts of violence but through the rule of law. And we preserve and protect our system of justice best when we accept its judgments that we disagree with the most.

The abuse of buying and selling votes crept in and money began to play an important part in determining elections.

There once was a time when people chose their congressmen. Now congressmen choose their people.

The evidence in hand and accessible will show beyond peradventure that in many parts of the State corrupt and violent influences were brought to bear upon the registrars of voters, thus materially affecting the character of the voting or poll lists; upon the inspectors of election, prejudicially and unfairly thereby changing the number of votes cast; and, finally, threats and violence were practiced directly upon the masses of voters in such measures and strength as to produce grave apprehensions for their personal safety and as to deter them from the exercise of their political franchises.

The whole process is corrupt. I vote against everything.

If the red-shirts can be present at the polls in South Carolina, why cannot the bluecoats [Federal troops] be called in also?