Money, Campaigns, TV

This was posted on JRE blog on March 07, 2004:

When we talk to people who don't give a d**n about politics, their No.1 reason is that both parties are the same - money talks and people get shafted. I would like to see a change in this. We need legislation that makes fundemental changes in the way primaries and elections are run, planned, organized, polled, funded, advertised and reported. We need to find a way to kick money out of politics so our elected representatives once again work for us and not for their big campaign donors. I hope JRE pushes a bill like that while he's still in the Senate. Big campaign donors are needed to cover the costs of campaigns. The biggest cost are TV ads. If we force the PUBLIC TV stations (PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, UPN, WB, FOX) to give each candidate in every part equal time, and I mean LOTS of time for advertising, interviews, infomercials etc., then campaign needs much less money to operate. This way, the campign season can be shorter, thus cheaper. As a result, you will not need to be a billionaire to run and win, and you do not have to be in debt to any big donor once you assume office. In the end, the trust of the populace in the political system will come back, people will start following campigns and voting in greater numbers. This will also help numerous small parties and break the monopoly of the two main parties which are far too powerful to give any room or oxygen to other parties.