Originally posted by boneplaya
Allow me to correct you: the popular opinion doesn't directly matter. To a certain degree, the elected people will vote in favor of what their constituents want; it's all part of politics. Granted, the bribes they're getting from the RIAA and MPAA will likely outweigh their reelection, but to say popular opinion doesn't matter isn't entirely true.
These days, you never know. After drowning in money from MAFIAA bribes, they can then campaign the poop out of everything and the sheeple who don't know how to turn on their computer (only their TV) will vote them back in.