Instead of having some central bureaucracy manage public funds, it lets individuals make their own choices. It transforms campaign finance from an inegalitarian embarrassment into a new occasion for civic responsibility,'' Ackerman told me. Before long coffee shops and bars might be filled with folks debating how to use their Patriot dollars wisely. There are details to be worked out, of course. Yes, go ahead, pass McCain-Feingold if you can.
Symbolic victories can help build momentum later for real ones.
But if you pass it, please don't be fooled into thinking you've changed much that matters. And if you lose, don't moan tragically about the loss for democracy. A symbolic loss isn't nearly as bad as a real loss. And sentimental wailing over a middling measure's fate will only distract us from pursuing the kind of long-term fix that's worthy of the name. The St. Augustine Record and Morris Digital Works .