With so many candidates being millionaires, there is often the accusation of someone attempting to "purchase the election". However, I couldn't believe this one in my morning paper...
Quote:
WWE to give away merch at polling places, thumbing nose at Bysiewicz
Neil Vigdor, Staff Writer
Published: 10:44 p.m., Thursday, October 28, 2010
Get your free wrestling swag.
World Wrestling Entertainment, the global brand that earned Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon a ton of money, announced Thursday that it will be giving away free merchandise at select polling locations on Election Day.
The announcement comes on the heels of a legal throw-down between McMahon husband and WWE founder Vince McMahon and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who said that voters would be prohibited from wearing company-licensed gear to the polls because it might be seen as promoting a candidate.
Bysiewicz eventually backed down from her position after McMahon filed a lawsuit against the SOTS.
"I can't think of a better way for WWE fans to celebrate their constitutional rights and freedom of expression while voting than to proudly wear the WWE merchandise that Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz attempted to prohibit from the polls," Vince McMahon, chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, said in a statement.
WWE is pledging to abide a 75-foot setback at polling places and said the merchandise will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.
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(This is the race in Connecticut to replace Chris Dodd in the U.S. Senate.)
I don't know why, but this seems beyond the pale and borderline illegal. Can anyone cite similar election giveaways? Or is this a modern version of paying people to vote?