does anyone find it completely insane that we start worrying about elections now 2 years from when they will occur? i find it rather sad that the house of representatives only meet on tuesday through thursday because they have to go back home on the weekends in order to continue year round campagining. we need to decrease our infatuation with elections and instead focus our work on getting stuff done. we should only worry about elections when they are much closer upon us.
Most people don't worry about elections at all. It is very difficult to connect with people who just aren't paying attention. Americans have become so trendy that it has breached into the politics. They'll vote for people based on race or gender, or because they have good slogans.. But when you start talking about the issues, they really don't want to get involved. Ask a Cain supporter how they feel about Cain's position on TARP, you'll see what I mean. I have a Cain supporter in another thread trying to tell me Cain is a veteran. Really?! :/
Not this time. The anti-Obama crowd have been waging a campaign of war against him and all America since his big win, so this year and a half fight will be quite useful in getting truths and positives about Obama up front along with the opposition's self-destruction to finalize. By election day, there won't even be a need for the election.
80 days to the 1st vote that counts. Obama and democrats NEVER had any debate or fact check on records and job skills and creation like the Republicans are doing. Now the Dems complain it is too long and costly ? Only when their guy wins do they stop..and then is threatened do they re start. Only when Obama wins more Wall St. money contributions than Republicans do they wait until the next election to complain about Wall St. money. The Wall St. protest ? should be titled ..Obama lite.. There is a difference in how a football team is coached..yet both are coaches.. One wins..another loses. Romney 2012.
The elections are barely a year out. The Presidential election will be on November 6, 2012, which is roughly a year and three weeks away. I'd rather have the Representatives at home listening to the people. If they are in Washington, they are insulated from the country. Heck, I'd go for the House meeting one week a month, if it were up to me.
Roughly $1.3 billion was spent on the 2008 Presidential campaign. In 2006, Coca Cola spent roughly $2.6 billion in advertising. I don't see it as being all that much.
Right. That's nothing new. It's not like people today are substantially less interested in issues than they were 30 years ago. Most voters have never cared about the issues, but instead voted based on party loyalty or campaign slogans.
Obama's campaign will spend more than $1 billion this year on its own. They might well get close to $1.5 billion by the time it's done.
If unemployment doesn't get fixed, there is no way Obama is getting re-elected. Also the anti-Obama campaign is trivial in intensity compared to the anti-GW Bush campaign.
And Coca Cola will probably spend close to $3 billion. Coke is just one product. Political campaign money is trivial compared to advertising money.
I wonder if fixed election dates have something to do with it. Most Parliamentary democracies have election after Parliament is dissolved by the head of state (Queen, Governor General, Lieutennant Governor etc.) usually triggered by the Prime Minster/Premier. Elections are quick. Usually no more than six weeks. Lately in Canada, Parliament and some provincial legislatures have moved to fixed election dates to eliminate one of the advantages that the governing party has in calling an election. Because the parties know when the election is coming, they start campaigning before the official start. I could see with every election cycle the campaining beforehand starting earlier and earlier, kind of like the way that stores gear up for Christmas after Labour Day. It seems that in the US, elsecially in the House of Representatives, campaigning for the next election seems to happen before the Representative is sworn in. When do they have time to govern?
When the manner in which politicians govern is dictated by who contributes the most to their campaigns... the campaigns are the determining factor on the way they govern.
I dont think so for a couple of reasons. First I would prefer that the application process for the most powerful possition in the world be a tad longer then other job applications. Second the money spent on these elections is normally spent with American businesses (or should be). Third, have you seen tv now a days its a bunch of violence and sex. I would rather have the people watching those debates then the smut normally on tv. (of course the debates are barely better but at least the cursing is less)
I like this perspective, I'll incorporate it into mine. The bottom line of the end result is: Trendy politics is nothing new, only the trends have evolved.
When you have individual politicians rasing that kind of money to win an elected position in our government .. it is ridiculouly expensive. ALL private money should be removed from campaigning for any public office. 5 year buffer times before and after service that a politician can lobby the government or work for any entity that lobbies government. If we could get this done... our government would change drastically in the next election and it would be in control of the people and not a tool of the corporate elite.
Well then you better get on that committee for a Constitutional Convention because it will take an amendment to remove private money from elections.
Yep.. and we all know for sure that there are VERY few politicians who support this type of legislation. , Bernie Sanders.. Kuncinich are a few.. I'll bet there is a republican and an independent or two also. The great majority of the "pay to play" politicians from the Teaparty Republicans to the most social left wing Democrats will fight legislation like this tooth and nail... not to mention the Supreme Court.
