Better than Term Limits or Campaign Finance Laws

Here is a method to fix what is wrong with federal elections in America without term limits or campaign finance laws.

Using computer generated randomization, select a state to elect the United States Senators and Congressional Representatives from a different state. Let me cite an example.

The computer program runs 45 days before the November election. Say the outcome selects Vermont voters to vote for the candidates running for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from the state of South Carolina. The state of New York votes for the candidates running in Arizona, etc., until all fifty states are matched up. The program runs each federal election cycle.

Exactly 30 days before the election, a nationwide announcement alerts citizens of, say Vermont, that the state's U.S. Senators and Congressional Representatives they will be voting for is South Carolina.

Then, all of the candidates are required to go to the state that will choose who wins the election after balloting on Election Day. The candidates must run statewide in-person debates for thirty days concerning only the topics important to pressing issues of the time leaving out issues such as flag burning, gay rights, and any other "hot button" topic.

As the debates begin, federal law prohibits political advertising nationwide on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the internet. There will be no talking heads commentary, or talk show discussion of candidates, their personal lives, families, etc., and issues.

Violators will be fined severely and if they violate the law twice, receive a minimum sentence of no less than five years in prison without parole.

This may seem lopsided at the outset, but I believe the result will be fair. Each state will go through the candidate selection process as is done now, six months or one year before the computer selection process picks which state will vote for the chosen candidates.

With this method, the extreme left or right will not be able to pollute the process at the "last minute." Democrats, Republicans, and Independents will vote in primaries as is done now and select whom they want to send to the debates.

The process should gradually weed out extremism on both sides and focus the election on what is important not on who gains or maintains power.

The screaming anger that pollutes the process now to the point of total dysfunction ends. The manipulation and influence by corporate donors and K Street lobbyists, Special Interest Organizations, and PACs who ignite the screaming anger ends, or is severely muted during the thirty days leading up to Election Day. Meaning they can talk amongst themselves while in the seclusion of their offices or homes, but not broadcast any of what is said.

When time comes to elect a president, the process remains as it is now until ninety days before Election Day. At that time, the rules in paragraphs 6 and 7 above apply.

There it is, simple as pie.
_____

Copyright March 11, 2010 all rights reserved.
This article is not to be shared. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold by you or given away by you in whole or in part, that is an infringement of U.S. copyright laws. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.