Last week, the Supreme Court fundamentally altered the campaign finance landscape, and not for the better.  In its Citizens United v. FEC decision, the Court struck down federal restrictions on corporate and union spending during federal elections.  And because it was a First Amendment case, the decision will also mean that any state restrictions on independent corporate and union spending will also be unconstitutional.

The decision's effect- Corporations and unions can now spend unlimited amounts of money running their own independent advertisements targeted at voters and there is nothing that Congress or state legislators can do about it.  While this will not affect the federal ban on direct contributions to candidates by corporations and unions, this decision will unleash massive amounts of corporate money spent independent of candidates and political parties into federal and state elections starting in 2010.

The silver lining - in place of the now-extinct regulations to control the independent involvement of powerful interests, progressive activists, organizations and candidates should embrace the opportunity to expand access to campaigns and elections.  In the aftermath of Citizens United, grassroots organizing, voter engagement, and participatory reforms will be more potent and powerful than ever.

So in the aftermath of Citizens United, what can candidates and campaigns expect?  

Candidates will find themselves competing with an influx of independent TV and radio advertisements aimed directly at the public.  In theory, the messages could come from corporations, non-profits and unions of all ideological bents.  In reality, the majority of this new advertising will probably be conservative and corporate sponsored.  It will likely be negative and hard-hitting.   

As voters are bombarded with more messages from more messengers there will be more confusion over candidates' positions. And in the past, an influx of negative ads has led voters to feel less engaged and more disillusioned about elections.  It could even start to affect voter turnout.

The good news - this decision provides a new incentive for progressive candidates, activists and organizations to engage and empower voters.  Organizing and grassroots political action offers the best chance to reach voters and restore the public's faith in the electoral process. Here are a few ways we can do this right now:

Clear and Targeted Messages:  As people tune out the advertisements, progressive campaigns must provide targeted, authentic, and trustworthy messages. Now it is critical that candidates develop a compelling and cohesive message that can break through the sound barrier of competing narratives in the election.  Grassroots campaigns have the advantage of developing relationships with voters; this allows candidates to deliver an individually-targeted message over and over to the same voter. Corporate political ads can't do that!

Trustworthy and Authentic Messengers:  Candidates can't rely on TV, the radio or even rallies to reach voters; they need to establish trust and credibility directly with voters.  For candidates, this means lots of personal voter contact-door knocking, town hall meetings and community visits.  

Grassroots Contact and Lots of It: The most effective way to reach a voter is to have a neighbor or volunteer initiate a conversation at their door.  Investing in field programs that maximize face-to-face contacts between volunteers and voters-at their doors, on the phone, where they spend their free time-is now more important than ever.  To compete in an environment with unrestricted campaign advertising, campaigns should intensify and pace their face-to-face contacts.  Campaigns should start reaching voters earlier, follow up with voters more often, and in a variety of different ways.

Citizen's United struck down restrictions intended to prevent corporations and interest groups from distorting elections through unmitigated spending on advertising.  In the absence of these restrictions, the public risks being sidelined and communities drowned out by rich, powerful and unrepresentative corporate interests.  In response, progressives must focus on strengthening the democratic role of citizens and communities within the electoral process.  

Progressive organizations, activists and candidates all must play a role in restoring and protecting the role of voters and the public in elections.  Otherwise, don't be surprised to hear-"This election brought to you by Wal-Mart, United Healthcare and the generous contributions of big oil."

Photo by dbking on flickr