Past ties between McMahon and Blumenthal: A Deregulation Love Story

In my last post I discussed how a corporate titan like Linda McMahon is the root of the problem we see in our economy and that deregulation has tended to lead to abuses by corporations. Dick Blumenthal has attacked Mrs. McMahon on this same fact and brought up her corporate abuses as CEO of the WWE. However, the McMahon campaign has fought back by citing a deregulation bill that Blumenthal voted for while in the Connecticut House of Representatives that allowed for the WWE to go unregulated because it was a "show" and did not require regulation. This vote was cast in 1985 and since then, the WWE has committed several acts seen as unethical such as rampant steroid abuse, lack of health insurance for employees, and the shipping of jobs overseas.

It should be noted that at the time that the vote was cast the WWE was far from the mainstream giant in entertainment that it is today. It was understood that the deregulation was only fair because pro-wrestling is not a sport and purely entertainment. However, since then the WWE has become ravaged with steroid abuse which has led to the death of many professional wrestlers as well as shipping thousands of middle-class jobs overseas in an attempt to cut costs. When steroids became an issue in the 1990's, the WWE enacted mandatory steroid testing, but in an attempt to again cut costs, the WWE suspended this testing until the mid-2000's. Theses are perfect examples of not only how a business, once deregulated, can commit broad abuses of its power to exploit its employees, but also speaks to the character of Mrs. McMahon as a businesswoman who places profit over compassion.

The fact that the McMahon campaign is now circulating this vote is a sign of their desperation to gain ground at this point in the race. The polls are now unanimously in favor of Blumenthal and the only poll that showed her within the margin of error (Quinnipac University poll) now shows the Secretary of State running away with the contest. The reason for this new shift could be attested to an attribute that McMahon thought would be her key advantage: her money. However, this money has led to her ads being broadcast far more than Blumenthal's and voters may be growing tired of constantly seeing her on their T.V. Furthermore, as voters begin to contemplate if a corporate titan is the best person to fix an economy shattered by corporate greed, they are finding that she may not be the answer. At any rate, the fact remains that McMahon's record is one that is highlighted by amassing personal wealth, while Blumenthal's is one of public service. The choices are distinct and I believe the voters of Connecticut will realize that public service is a better attribute that corporate success.