Election or Auction? You decide.
To be taken seriously as a candidate in America today requires fund raising skills, at least that’s what the media wants us to believe. Why? Because, guess where the campaign money goes? That’s right, the media.
Imagine if we flat-out banned political advertising. Not a single cent to be spent on TV, Radio, Newspapers, Direct mail, billboards, yard signs- anything.
What if we insisted that each candidate had a blog- and shared their views on a daily basis for a period of at least a year before they could file as a candidate?
Imagine if the only video they could produce would be run on YouTube, audio as podcasts, ads as downloadable PDF’s — and that we asked voters to evaluate all candidates not on their skill at collecting money, but instead on the power of their ideas?
How after the filing deadline, each voter got a piece of mail from the board of elections with links to each candidates site, an announcement of a debate schedule, and a forum to discuss the questions that each candidate must answer during the debate.
No money from PACs, Special Interest Groups, Corporations, lobbyists, or even the voters. Sure, some voters wouldn’t be able to go to the Internet to get information- but, we could put the debates on public access channels non-stop. We could still have standard media coverage, and we could have candidates forums in the community.
What do you think? Since that day isn’t here yet, I ask each of you reading this to go write a check right now for what ever you believe you think this idea is worth to our democracy, to Elect Esrati, 100 Bonner St. Dayton OH 45410, and put the title of this post in the memo.
You can give up to $2,300. I’d be happy with $10 or $100. Because we still run something more like an auction in this country- and I need at least $15,000 for the primary right now to do a mailing and use a automated call system to get people to come to this site.
I want to hear from you, show me you are willing to pay attention to the issues— and send the one candidate who isn’t for sale to Washington to represent you.
Say…what if we just did away with freedom of speech altogether? Why not? That seems to be what you are advocating here… Who are you to tell politicians and their supporters where and how to spend their money?
Matt, your knee jerk reaction to my suggestion shows you prefer to buy elections.
Since when were elections supposed to cost money?
You must work for big media- and want to pad your paycheck with the money from campaign commercials. It’s not free speech when it costs so much to run the ads.
When did monetary support equate to freedom of speech? I know a person could probably say he supports Castro but couldn’t funnel money to support him because monies are not words.
I agree with Mr. Esrati. Money has corrupted the political process and its sole purpose isn’t to provoke change but to keep things the way they are. That is why conservatives and well made incumbents have fought so hard against campaign finance reform or at most paid minimal lip service. People who have the money fear a change of process that is why they will buy their candidate! Some people call that a true representative government but its the people with the money doing the buying and the rest left out of the process.
Nice try, Mr. Esrati… There are reasons why McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform is considered a failure. Limiting whom and how you can express your support for a candidate or issue is EXACTLY what you are talking about here.
I am not a member of the media and I laugh at that absurd assertion. I’m a blogger; and while I may be considered a Republican shill, the powers that be in the party consider me to be independent and not capable of being controlled.
All I am suggesting here is that your idea may sound good now; but, back in the day, so did McCain-Feingold. In a socialist utopia all would be “equal” and we could choose our leaders based on some established criteria… Fortunately, we still have free speech in America…
I’d say there is nothing free about it when you have to raise millions to run for President.
McCain-Feingold was a lame attempt.
And what part of “All men are created equal” don’t you understand?
“Socialist Utopia”= typical kneejerk labeling.
Did my reply to Mr. Esrati get eaten by the internets?
Spam Karma doesn’t like you Matt.
Sorry- I had to rescue your responses from the spam file….
Guess it’s run by democrats :-)