Here We Are Again

Another election cycle, this one for president, all House of Representatives at the federal level, and one third of all Senators. The campaigns are in full swing. Those running for office are doing little governing. They are campaigning.

Not that they ever stopped campaigning; no, they are in a continual campaign for their seat at the table.

And that’s what’s wrong with our system. To get our votes candidates promise the moon. They ask for your donations throughout the year as well. Hands out, promises galore. What can we expect from this but the same old garbage we already have.

It is time for a change.

The first step is campaign finance reform. No private money from any source ought to be used to campaign for office. Only funds from the public’s purse based on the office level and population of the district to be represented. So, for Senator, you get $1 per registered voter in your state. That’s it. For House seats, the budgeted amount would be something like $300,000. President would be $330 million. I haven’t worked out primary campaigns, but something much less than the final candidates.

With the focus on issues (not personalities) rather than money, I think campaigns would be more intelligent and less chaotic than those of today. And it removes large contributors, political action committees (PAC’s), and corporate donations. Corporate sponsors ought never have been allowed. Not in the past, certainly not now, and not in the future. The principle is obvious; evidently the Supreme Court doesn’t understand that principle.

The Electoral College should be abolished. It is an anachronism of the 1780’s and not applicable to 2020. The Electoral College was a political compromise in favor of landowners and the wealthy. And it protected small states with lower populations from larger states. The workings of the EC are also constantly toyed with making outcomes of elections questionable. Time to do away with it. Keep the election machinery simpler.

There is talk about eliminating political parties but I have not thought that through so leave it unaddressed at this time. It is clear, however, that party politics continually warp voting district boundaries and the mechanics of voting. It is time to address the issue of one person, one vote, and ensure its safety. Parties may not be needed. Technology has reduced the need for parties, think social media.

When campaigns are filled with more denigration of personalities than discussion of the issues, and more lies than facts, it is time to re-engineer how Americans select their representatives in government.

Transparency should be ever-present. Today it is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

September 11, 2020