Greetings Readers,
I recently viewed an interview on CNN’s GPS, The Globe Public Square facilitated by Fareed Zakaria. The programing is not Liberal nor is it Conservative, but straight down the middle. This particular segment viewed concerned what I and many in the general public believe that American political campaigns are much too long and expensive. They are outrageous in length, are redundant, and a waste of precious time and money.
At this writing we have 538 days to go until the Presidential Election on the first Tuesday in November 2016. That’s quite a stretch to find politicians that should be qualified enough to serve and hold offices. Our Britain and European brothers and sisters have a sane election campaign policy: The campaigns last less than six weeks, political contributions are limited to no more than 30 million U. S. dollars per candidate. Negative accusatory, deliberate inaccuracy, and nasty back-biting advertisements are illegal; therefore, there are few or none. The recently held European elections were by all accounts a democratic success.
The usual complaints surfaced from loser parties of course concerning issues not the electorial system which they by and large support.
The U. S. election turnout rate is slightly over 50% while in the European Nanny states they are in the 84% range. In a those countries potential voters are automatically registered to vote when receiving ID cards or drivers licenses. In counties that have mandatory or moderate laws that one must vote, Turkey, Japan, and Australia fines for missing a vote are modest. Voting is up to the individual there too.
If the aforementioned isn’t the most practical application to conduct an election campaign I don’t know what is. The U. S. system reeks with big money, lobbying, manipulation, and confusion. Unfortunately, we can talk and write about this issue until we are blue in the face, and the solution won’t happen soon or happen at all. Please take note, this important issue is rarely ever brought to the attention of the citizenry by politicians or by the Media. There is just too much money involved in campaign contributions and network profit… The outcome is we the citizenry are sentenced, doomed to another drawn out election season like sheep.
All the Best.
Ron Miller,
Batam, Island.
