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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 have been perfected such that people would 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 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.

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 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