The media has a big say in elections. ABC left Duncan Hunter, Dennis Kucinich, Alan Keyes, and Mike Gravel out of the New Hampshire debates. Since they didn't reach the appropriate benchmarks in terms of gathering support, they were eliminated. According to Stephen Stone, Keyes' campaign CEO, the media wouldn't acknowledge Keyes' candidacy, making it difficult to run an effective campaign. Many Iowa caucus locations didn't even list Keyes as a choice.
The networks have also excluded Dennis Kucinich from the debates. Long before candidates began dropping like flies, the networks acted as if the Democratic race was between just three candidates (Obama, Clinton, Edwards), rather than 6. When Edwards didn't win the early contests, they began ignoring him as well.
All presidential candidates should be allowed to address American citizens. Ignoring a candidate is disrespectful to both the candidate and the voter.
This electoral process is archaic and unnecessarily complex. There are so many different ways that delegates are chosen. Citizen's votes are uneven depending on where they live and which party they belong to. Some states have proportional primaries, others have caucuses. Democrats have proportional representation, while Republicans don't - it is "winner take all" either by state (as in Florida) or by congressional district (Calif.). We need big change in both parties.
The primary process disenfranchises voters. Back in 2004 I supported Howard Dean - but he was out of the running before I had a chance to vote, removed from the race for getting overly emotional in Iowa. I still fail to understand why showing a little emotion was such a sin; I thought it was a good thing. My right to ever cast a vote for him was taken away because others made the decision for me. My second choice was John Edwards - but by the time I voted for him, Kerry's nomination was already certain.
How can just a few states have such a huge say about who gets the nomination? To be fair, everyone should vote on the same day. Then the people, rather than the political parties or the media, would pick the top candidates to run against each other in the general election. These days, with newspapers, radio, television and the Internet, the candidates no longer need to physically campaign everywhere.
Election reform should begin in Congress. We should get rid of the archaic institution called the electoral college. It should be popular vote, with each and every vote traceable and verifiable.
There should be limits on funds and on time. Spending should be limited, so candidates who aren't multi-millionaires and in the pocket of special interest groups can have a fair shot for president. There should be limits on the amount of time that candidates can advertise and hold town hall meetings. I want to hear about the issues that affect me, not the mud slinging that we see now.
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