The (Too) Long Road to 2008
Even across the Atlantic they are rueing and debating the ridiculousness of our two year long slog through the money mud to the next presidential election http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2024705,00.html.
It feels like we are quickly establishing a system where it might conceivably be that very few people will actually get to cast a meaningful vote for their candidate of choice and that the moneyed interests combined with a very narrow range of voters from small states with narrow ideological viewpoints on what is good for the entire country will essentially "choose" the candidates.
Those that don't poll well or show well in straw polls and caucases may be forced out early on and not have access to funds to carry on a meaningful campaign or contributing to any meaningful debate on real policy issues.
Once again, we will be reduced to learning about our potential leaders through soundbites, manipulated advertising and carefully orchestrated campaigns rather than through a democratic process of debates, discussion of issues and then voting on a slate of candidates that would have been presented to the public through the mass media in a much more open way.
It's a losing proposition for the country and for those that would like to see leaders actually lead through their words and deeds than through a media manipulated campaign of popularity.
That's how we ended up with our current president. Let's hope that somehow we wake up and do better the next time around.
It feels like we are quickly establishing a system where it might conceivably be that very few people will actually get to cast a meaningful vote for their candidate of choice and that the moneyed interests combined with a very narrow range of voters from small states with narrow ideological viewpoints on what is good for the entire country will essentially "choose" the candidates.
Those that don't poll well or show well in straw polls and caucases may be forced out early on and not have access to funds to carry on a meaningful campaign or contributing to any meaningful debate on real policy issues.
Once again, we will be reduced to learning about our potential leaders through soundbites, manipulated advertising and carefully orchestrated campaigns rather than through a democratic process of debates, discussion of issues and then voting on a slate of candidates that would have been presented to the public through the mass media in a much more open way.
It's a losing proposition for the country and for those that would like to see leaders actually lead through their words and deeds than through a media manipulated campaign of popularity.
That's how we ended up with our current president. Let's hope that somehow we wake up and do better the next time around.
posted by Paul Salinger at 8:41 AM
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