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Campaign Reform
Imagine The Possibilities
Shaun Kerry, M.D.
Soon, virtually every voter in the United
States will have internet access, either through direct ownership, a
friend, a school, or a public library.
Tamper proof systems will be
perfected
such that people will be able to vote over the internet. The
ballot casting program would instantly notify the voter if he cast an
invalid ballot. Involving the internet in voting, and in the
election process in general, would lead to an explosion of interest in
the political process.
At present, younger citizens participate
in
voting the least, apparently because they |
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have the least confidence
in our current electoral system. On the other hand, these same
young people are the most energetic when it comes to voicing their
political concerns. Why not put all of this energy to good use?
These young people could be given an opportunity to use their time much
more constructively by screening prospective candidates and exchanging
information with other voters. In order for such a system to be
effective, it must be simple for people to use. Otherwise, the
public will not participate. Even though the mechanisms working in
the background sound complex, such a system will not be too complicated.
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What if this plan were implemented?
I expect that it would be tried
experimentally at the city
and county level first. The country would ease into it gradually.
Imagine what it would be like. People would be saying: "Hey, I
could be president. Or my neighbor, or my minister, or the mayor
of my town could be president." Then people would start thinking: "What
would I do if I were president?"
That would create quite a stir. How would that alter the attitude
about politics that currently exists on college campuses? How would the
media react? Instead of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" it would be
"Who Wants to Be President?". Sure. The media would screen
candidates for the show just like they would for a quiz show. The
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contestants would
chat with the moderator for ten minutes, and at the end
of the show, the studio
audience (and perhaps the audience at home via the internet) would vote
for the best presentation and the winner would get prize money.
Instead of trivia, people would be asked questions about what they would
do to improve the country. This would get people thinking.
People talking. A healthy political climate.
Gone would be the mud slinging and the waste of
hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign funds. In
its place would be a process that would spring directly from the hearts
and minds of the people, with active involvement of the media. In
a sense, it would be politics without the politics. Who would have
guessed?
Under such a system, any child would have the
opportunity to be president. We would have a
government by the people, for the people, and of the people. We
would have a true democracy.
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