The flood of money that gushes into politics today is a pollution of democracy.

White likens political money to an environmental contaminant: something that spreads, degrades what it touches, and is difficult to remove once introduced. The “flood” metaphor suggests both volume and force—money not merely present in politics but overwhelming it—while “pollution” implies corruption of a system meant to represent citizens equally. The line encapsulates a mid-to-late 20th-century anxiety about campaign finance, lobbying, and the growing role of wealthy donors and organized interests. It frames the problem as structural rather than merely moral: even if individual actors are well-intentioned, excessive money distorts democratic competition and public trust.