Ways to make elections better

To the editor:

It is no secret that the American public has become deeply cynical about government, politics and the nation’s elected leaders. Many things are affecting that attitude. One of the causes I believe is the length of the campaign periods, which have become two-year marathons. We are bombarded by rhetoric that is filled with venom, hate, dangerous accusations and outright lies. The longer the campaigns continue the more the rhetoric is ratcheted up. This political talk ends up defining the relationships in government.

I recognize that these characteristics describe politics in general; however, I believe that it has become exponentially uglier due to the non-stop campaigning. As soon as an election is over, the politicians start campaigning for the next election. They are not governing or solving problems, only campaigning. And to do this they need money. So we are constantly being asked for contributions. Just recently Britain elected a new Prime Minister in a matter of weeks. What a pleasant thought. We should be able to do something similar, perhaps in months.

There are no easy solutions to this situation. Limiting campaign spending was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2014 as a violation of the First Amendment. One suggestion is for the political parties to pass guidelines requiring states to wait until March to hold their nominating contests. Campaign Finance Reform would certainly help, but that seems to be going nowhere. I suggest, as a part of the solution, passing a law to limit national political campaigns to a six-month period before Election Day. This would reduce campaign costs sharply and make the democratic process much more focused and less cynical for voters and politicians alike.

— Patricia Fisher

Meadow Lakes