The Power -> Money direction indeed seem to be such, and everyone's picking up on it, including popular culture
"Such a waste of talent. He chose money over power. In this town, a mistake nearly everyone makes. Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn't see the difference." -- Frank Underwood / House of Cards US
Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries
It really isn't. Politicians fear scandals because the powerbase that they spend many long nights and hard years building can be undone in a heartbeat. "A week is a long time in politics".
I think that's an oversimplification. There are more actors besides politicians and people with lots of money. People like the directors and executives of agencies like the NSA or the CIA, political advisers, board members of the FED and similar organizations, etc.
This is one of the axioms of the show, and it's utter nonsense. It doesn't stand up to rational analysis. Political "power" is incredibly ephemeral and brittle - just look at Chris Christie.
"Such a waste of talent. He chose money over power. In this town, a mistake nearly everyone makes. Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn't see the difference." -- Frank Underwood / House of Cards US