Ten Days Until the Election, Ten Proposals for Campaign Reform

Ten Proposals for Campaign Reform

ONE: MARKETING HAS NO PLACE IN POLITICS
Eliminate negative television advertising. Negative television advertising is defined as any advertising that mentions the other candidate. The net effect of this campaign reform would revolutionize the selection of the selection of our leader by would to refocussing candidates message to the electorate on their agenda and what they bring to the table. And it would go far in eliminating over-the-top speculation on what the other candidate will [not] do.

Marketing is great for consumer products. If the product doesn't quite live up to the marketing, you're not stuck with it for the next four years. I don't care how pretty my President is, I just want him to occasionally remind me why I love this country so much!

TWO: HAPPY ELECTION DAY
Make election day a national holiday. This will give everyone time to get to the polls. Plus, its a great opportunity to stimulate the economy. Election day sales. A jumpstart on holiday shopping. But more than anything.

THREE: REAL TIME VOTING
Digital real time voting with uniform rules across all states. It goes like this: Voter scans their ID, scans their thumb, signs their name, votes on touch screen, prints their receipt. Upon completion their votes are sent to a central state hub and onto a national hub instantaneously. Done. Eliminate human error.

FOUR: ELIMINATE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
It was probably necessary back in the day. But today we have the ability to create technology to let the popular vote count. If the majority of Americans vote for one candidate, but Florida narrowly goes the other way...there's something wrong.

FIVE: REQUIRE THAT ALL CITIZENS VOTE
Make it a civic duty that all voters vote.

SIX: LOWER THE VOTING AGE TO 16
Voting should be taught at the high school level. It should be taught with ethics (bipartisan). Sixteen year olds are affected by policy; paying for college is two years away.

SEVEN: MAJOR PARTY PRIMARIES END EARLIER
We hate elections because we hate the marketing and smear campaigns. Take out the marketing (1), and give the candidates more time to campaign from the stump and communicate their actual policies. Increase the number of debates, make them focused, and spread them out.

EIGHT: POST COMPREHENSIVE POLICY PROPOSALS ONLINE
Transparency is key and it allows the American public to get more involved in the political process.

NINE: DISCOURAGE NEWSPAPER ENDORSEMENTS
It shouldn't be the media's job to tell Americans what candidate to vote for. It is the media's job to present each candidate and their agenda without bias and let American's decide. Don't regulate the media, but discourage this practice.

TEN: MINIMIZE SPIN
Spin does a major disservice to the American public. Debates are almost irrelevant to the spin doctoring which in effect tells Ameicans what the candidates said, whether or not it is truly what the candidates said.