03/24/2004: "Campaign money"

Does anyone out there check the 'give 1 dollar to the presidential campaign fund' box on their tax return? I sure as heck don't. Until the 1 dollar ensures that presidential campaigns don't rely heavily on how much money they can raise, I have no desire to see them get even MORE money to campaign with.

What brought this to my attention is this article on the television ads for this years' presidential campaign. It is absolutely amazing how much money they are spending. Let's see, 300 million for a 200 thousand a year job (or 800K total). That's approximately a 300:1 spent to earned ratio!?! The worst part is that it isn't just the presidency. All the way down to the school boards in major cities. My Mom, back years ago when she ran for the school board, had a 1:2 ratio, which is still ridiculous. It should be like a 1:100 ratio.

I would be in favor of doing away with private campaigning and have completely publically funded campaigns. Why do we need ads on top of ads on top of ads with slick advertising companies spinning why either their candidate is the best thing since sliced bread or why the other candidate is like mold on sliced sourdough? Plus we get all the counter publicity of how Bush is dancing on the graves of those lives lost in 9/11 by putting a 8 frame reference to 9/11 in his campaign or how Kerry can't be elected because his head looks like a melon in his last ad (or whatever).

I think we should publish a larger version of the voter information pamphlet, maybe even do 3 or 4 of them to allow responses over time, along with some government funded interviews and debates (televised for big campaigns, on the radio for middle of the road, and live/transcript for local elections) and call it a day. That way we don't have all this crud. Candidates will be forced to put their position on paper and let the public decide.

When that is brought before congress and passed, THEN I'll check the $1 tax return box! Until then, some random homeless guy is more worthy of the buck even if he gives it to Jack Daniels.

Ken Crawford :

No, but three is.

I think the right quote for Arnold is: "Taste my raisin oatmeal cookies. There not tumors!"

03.25.04 @ 12:10 PM PST

Paul :

No, no, no. Thats totally the wrong quote for Arnold. I can't believe I am actually correcting the great "Ken's Brother", but it would be "Taste my cookies, they'll pump you up."

But seriously folks, spending is out of control, on the otherhand, what would you expect from a country that thinks its more fun to watch Big Brother 19, or Tanya Harding quit a boxing match before it begins. The poloticians have to compete with them for our time as well. I would be afraid that three or four pamphlets in the mail would just get chalked up to junk mail and trashed on the way to watch the latest episode of OC.

Hey Ken, two comments on the same story. Is that some sort of record or something?

Paul

03.25.04 @ 11:06 AM PST

Kens Brother :

Ken-
but that wouldn't be any fun! How about we eliminate the ad's and just hold sack races on consecutive saturdays until a winner is declared? I think the point of politics is to see who can do the most slandering in their campaigns. At least on the national level, on the local level it's still really a popularity contest (see our governer). I agree that spending has gotten a bit out of control, but that just means we should stop letting them raise funds via big 500 dollar dinners, and make them do car washes and cookie bakes like elementary schools do. I honestly would love to see Arnold trying to sell some oatmeal cookies... Taste my cookies, they're pumped full of iron...
cheers,
me

03.24.04 @ 09:55 PM PST [homepage]