Abolish The Ads

Before you send off that check for $100 that you were thinking would help elect your favorite candidate, consider this: $75 of that $100 will be spent to annoy you and frustrate you with T.V., radio, and internet ads.

That’s right. 75% of campaign money is spent on advertising. Those negative ads we all say we hate. But also those warm and fuzzy ads that make us cringe even when they put our candidate in a good light (maybe especially when they put our candidate in a good light).

It is this absurd and slick arena of advertising that is electing our leaders. It is not speeches. It is not the candidate’s character. It is not debates. It is advertising.

It takes lots and lots of cash to buy good advertising professionals and it takes even more cash to air the ads day and night.

The candidates have to do many things (some unspeakable) in order to get all that cash.

Think about it. This is exactly why we have the candidates we have and why the candidates we have run he campaigns they do.

Then try thinking about this novel idea: What would our candidates and their campaigns look like if we abolished campaign ads.

For starters, our leaders would have to run on their ideas, their intelligence, their character, and their ability to clearly articulate a case for why they should be elected.

Imagine that. Then you would imagine a world where a George W. Bush would not be chosen as President of the United States. Twice.