Electile Dysfunction—Why Can’t the Democrats Get Their Polls Up?

Marv Waterstone, a professor emeritus at the University of Arizona and coauthor of *Consequences of Capitalism* alongside Noam Chomsky, contends that the challenges faced by the Democratic Party originate from a Faustian pact established in the 1970s. He characterizes the party as an "inauthentic opposition," struggling to balance the interests of its supporters with those of corporate donors. This shift began with the 1971 Powell Memorandum, which encouraged the US Chamber of Commerce to alter corporate ideologies, resulting in the formation of the Business Roundtable in 1972 and the Heritage Foundation in 1973. Political action committees surged from 89 in 1974 to approximately 1,500 by 1982, favoring Republicans. Waterstone points to the early years of the Obama administration as indicative of Democrats favoring donors over genuine needs, foreseeing ongoing policy shortcomings.