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Campaign Reform
Screening
the Candidates
Shaun Kerry, M.D.
If the changes that we have discussed on
this site were implemented, there would obviously be a very large number
of candidates. Given the lack of financial requirements, nearly anyone
would be able to run for office. In order to manage such a large body of
prospective candidates, there would have to exist some type of screening
process.
One of the screening processes now in use
requires a large number of signatures on a petition. While this sounds
fair in principle, the signatures are actually bought by mailings or
other campaigns. It costs X number of dollars to secure each signature.
The resulting expense |
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is often millions of dollars. Acquiring
signatures has little to do with the qualifications of the candidate or
the validity his propositions for bettering the state of our society.
The purpose of the screening process is to help
the voter to eliminate most of the unqualified candidates. At
present, we support the "Amazon" method mentioned earlier. It works for
sifting through hundreds of thousands of books to find the right one, so
why not adapt it for use with political candidates? The server in use
would be managed by a team of people, with no one person having control.
Any person could submit suggestions for improving the site and its
administration. The site you are reading now operates in a similar way.
We respond to reader suggestions, and as we grow, our site will become
more sophisticated.
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In the past, we had considered
accreditation boards to rate the candidates. We have since changed our
position on this and think that this would be unnecessary. The Amazon
system, coupled with a media response that mirrors it, seems the most
democratic and efficient. It would be administered by the people, and
would improve over time just as versions of software improve. This site
will continue to be updated to reflect the most appropriate suggestions.
Please |
let us hear your
opinions. We respond to all e-mail suggestions and pay for ones that we
can use.
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