Best Posts in Thread: US Presidential Election Cycles Are Too Long

Of Course if it was some sort of Meeting, Rally in the Support of a Candidate, Anyway I am not particularly concerned as it works in the UK and it could work in the US but has to be monitored by Trusted Auditors, NOW! there may be a Problem in any Country, I believe the UK is Monitored by another Country.
The main thing is that unless something is looked at you are going to get this year in year out Staging & Mud Slinging thing.
Maybe a Time Limit for campaigning could be introduced. (Say March for a November vote)
other than that I have given my 10c, as usual, we are in the main talking about things the Man in the Street has no say in, so to me, it is "Carry on Politicians"

 

Good point and it would be tricky especially given today's political agenda media. First thing would be cleaning up the media which I have no idea how to do but taking sides by *news* is very unfair and undemocratic. Beyond that most one can expect is saying a Candidate can only spend so much and can have no connection to promotional spending outside of their campaign be it a rally hosted by a political activist group or anything else. Failure would be immediate disqualification. But then how to track such things and keep it honest with honest scorekeepers.

I think the best thing we can do is actually ban ALL taxpayer money to any group that lobby's. Be that group a civil rights group, religion, activist group, business group, and so forth. If a group that receives taxpayer money engages in any form of lobbying on a political side they will lose funding and could be forced to repay part or all funding received. If citizens won't donate then the cause must not mean enough after all. Then cap donations at X amount a year and only donations from private citizens are allowed to a campaign. The campaign would be held responsible with the risk of disqualification if it didn't keep accurate records and anything is found to suggest their were knowingly or avoiding to be knowing of illegal contributions.

 

How does the "that wasn't me, it was someone else I have nothing to do with" (RNC, DNC, PAC etc) get dealt with? Seems if "they" have money to spend to buy the government "they" want, "they" will find a way around any rules and do what "they" want and we have to listen and put up with the garbage. Maybe we need a $10,000 fine for every insult, $100,000 fine for every message not referencing policy, and $1,000,000 fine for every lie, to be paid by whoever made the statement.

 

"Where there is a will" comes to mind take the UK for instance and I believe other EU Countries. A Campaign Money Limit is set for General Elections. To overspend can and indeed does in a lot of cases, Disqualify a Candidate.
Now once you have announced you will Stand, your Campaign has started and the cash is being Spent.
Start your Campaign to early and you will no doubt overspend, so You loose your Deposit & get disqualified ( YES !they have to pay a Deposit) So they never really Start a campaigning until 6/7 months before a General Election.
That my Friends is why we over the Pond Don't get all this "Mud Slinging" 2/3 years before Hand.
So Steve as you have announced your Intentions, in the UK & others, your Campaign is now running