Ted Babbitt

This is my first blog post ever so I think it’s appropriate to set forth my platform for my presidential campaign. No, I’m not serious but you have to ask yourself why these ideas don’t get some play because my guess is they would have enormous public support.

–I would call for a limitation on paid television advertising for elections. Many European countries don’t allow paid ads at all and Canada and England limit them to just weeks before the election. What a great idea. Right now our elected officials are only interested in one thing, getting reelected and their campaigns start the day after they are sworn into office. Who is not tired of seeing these ads over and over again? Why are we paying these people? They spend more time on their own campaigns than even an iota of work for the country.

–While we are at it, let’s adopt the Canadian system that candidates can’t ask for money until a few weeks before the election. Our representatives spend their entire terms raising money and the cost of running for president will be between five and $10 billion. When you add up all the Senatorial and congressional campaigns the cost is mind boggling. We could cure cancer with that kind of money and it happens every four years for the president every two years for the House of Representatives and every six years for senators. It has become worse with Citizens United, the Supreme Court opinion that allows unlimited campaign contributions.

–Next, I would support a constitutional amendment that limits political ads to only positive messages and not negative campaigning. You can say what you will do but not what’s wrong with the other candidates.

–Why is election day not a national holiday? Our turnout rate is abysmal. We should have all elections from President down to municipal clerk on the same day every two years so you only vote once and you do it on a national holiday. Instead of encouraging people to vote we make it as hard as possible. If you are working you have to take time off which keeps the voting rate so low. It makes no sense whatever.

–It takes extraordinary amounts of money to gain access to our politicians and they are not listening to anyone that doesn’t put up that kind of money. That’s why even though 85% of American citizens are in favor of commonsense gun control it gets nowhere in our Congress. Before anything else we need election reform. We need constitutional amendments to do it but it can be done.

People in the United States hate our system. That’s why a completely unqualified thin skinned egomaniac has captured their attention. In his words, what have they got to lose?

OK, enough time on this introductory blog. I’m not sure how this works but I hope to hear from some people and get their ideas…