Kyle Markley, candidate for Oregon Secretary of State

Kyle Markley
for Oregon Secretary of State

I published the following argument in opposition to Measure 107 in the Oregon Voters' Pamphlet for the 2020 General Election.


It isn't true that big money buys elections.

It is true that the candidate who spends the most money is very likely to win their race. But the idea that they win because they have more money confuses correlation with causation.

It is obvious that a better-liked candidate will get more votes. Being liked also helps candidates raise money. Being liked is a cause, not an effect, of campaign funding.

We should expect whichever candidate has the most popular positions to both raise the most money and to win the election. That correlation is normal and is not evidence of corruption.

The idea that big money can buy elections has been proven false time and again. Here are a few recent examples:

Source: https://tinyurl.com/no107-rp

Source: https://tinyurl.com/no107-pe

Source: https://tinyurl.com/no107-NY
(sum of April, pre-primary, and July reports)

Source: https://tinyurl.com/no107-FL

Source: https://tinyurl.com/no107-bi

Michael Bloomberg's billion dollars, even combined with his advantage of already being a successful politician, couldn't defeat Joe Biden. If Biden can win despite being outspent 16:1, it's clear that money doesn't buy elections.


All of my other arguments against Measure 107 are available online.

© Kyle Markley
Libertarian candidate for Oregon Secretary of State
Kyle Markley for Oregon on Facebook