Hightower Lowdown

The voting is underwayfor the 2004 Democraticpresidential nominee.What, you say? You didn’tget your ballot yet? Sureyou did! It’s your checkbook.You are going towrite a $2,000 check toone or more of the contenders,aren’t you? Orperhaps bundle a couplehundred thousand fromyour associates, right?This is what the corporateand other wealthyelites are doing right nowin the nation’s first andmost important presidentialprimary election.Months before any ofus ordinary riff-raff get tovote in state primaries,the wealthy are havingindividual or small groupmeetings with the contendersin what is knownas the “Money Primary.”In corporate suites andin the living rooms of therich, huge sums are beinghanded over to decidewho’ll be the anointedfront-runner and whatissues will be the focus ofthe Democratic campaign.In every presidentialrace of the past 20 years,the candidate who collectedthe most moneybefore any vote was castby the people went on towin the nomination.The political pros saythat candidates will haveto collect more than $20million each by the end ofthe year to be seriouscontenders. That’s morethan $60,000 a day,seven days a week, for allof 2003! No wonder theydon’t have time to talk toregular folks.