Jeff Milyo in the Wash Examiner:

The national pastime is not baseball. Americans have a far more enduring passion for grumbling about politics and the venality of politicians. This is probably quite healthy. After all, demagogues and their schemes may be more effectively frustrated by ridicule than rational argument. But perhaps nothing stokes our sardonic impulses more than intercourse of money and politics.

Concern about the role of money in politics is nothing new, and nor are calls for sweeping reform. But public discussion of reform is typically colored only by the latest scandal or political campaign, with little attention to relevant lessons from recent experiences with similar reforms. So reform efforts are best viewed as emotional, reflexive responses to current events, rather than as well-considered policies informed by solid evidence.