An Opportunity Gaping Open for Democrats
Full public financing of elections should be the central theme for democrats in 2006! Why go for nibbling around the edges of the purely republican Abramoff scandal. Let's do radical surgery on the cancer of corruption in Washington!
In the book "Freakonomics" by Stephen Levitt and Steven Dubner, the authors do an extensive analysis of candidates and money in elections. How often do we hear about the ungodly amount of money spent of political campaigns? All the time? As the authors point out america spends as much on political campaigns as it does on what? - chewing gum! That's paltry political debate, if you ask me. More people know about Double-mint Gum, than about their governors.
Not to mention, another element of money and candidates, quality candidate precedes cash; it turns out that a winning candidate raises more money, instead of raising more money making a winning candidate. The proverb explains this, "Success has many cousins."
Basically, this means that quality candidates are being influenced by monetary donations from moneyed interests when it's their quality as candidates that wins the race. So let's set the candidates free of money - full public financing of federal elections. When it's brought to the floor, who could vote against it?
The lobbyists will fight it, but all legislators will love it - more time on policy, less time on fundraising! Can you imagine our elected officials being able to spend all of their time communicating with constituents, crafting policy instead of greasing the fundraising skids!
Maybe I'm in a dream world but this seems like the time!
