Presidential politics is upon us again. I am a political junkie by heart. Ergo, I enjoy these wars. Generally. Especially the last one. The Obama/Hillary engagement was history making!

However…..it has been my thought for years that Presidential clashes are much too long and in most instances boring. The day to day skirmishes have the media drawing on the mundane to create a news release.

My solution. Lets pass a law (1) setting the time frame for a Presicdential campaign and (2) have the government finance the campaign.

Sixty days would seem appropriate for the candidates to duke it out. A limited dollar budget would work, also. Say $1,000,000 a piece. TV would be required to provide free time as a public service.

The money part of the above would significantly help in reducing money’s influence in and on government.

Some what similar provisions with different time and money frames would be be provided for primaries.

My plan is not set in stone as to the details. It is the concept I am suggesting.

The concept is offered more as food for thought. Chew on it. Think about it. Discuss it with friends and associates. A small start. Recall however that big trees from little acorns grow!

Yesterday was soft and easy.

Time with Lisa in the morning. Her new business is becoming an old business. As of September 1, it will be three months old. The marketing business is doing well. I am impressed. I take fatherly pride in her accomplishment to date. She is already helping several businesses to move ahead with their social media marketing activities.

Lisa’s business is called The Social Suite and can be found at TheSocialSuite.com.

I enjoyed my own company at lunch. Sat alone by the pool. Made a sandwich. Wrote a bit. Floated in the pool with a noodle and thought a bit.

I had a mid afternoon visit with my heart doctor. We are working on my blood pressure. The numbers are out of whack. I last saw the doctor two weeks ago.

The new numbers were down a bit, but not by much. He doubled one of my blood pressure medications. I am to see him again in two weeks.

Dinner was with Lisa and the family.

The grandkids overwhelmed me all evening. They wanted to know when we were going out alone again for lunch. That means their parents stay home. I assured them soon. We visit places like Harpoon Harry’s, Camille’s, and No Name Pub for lunch.

Robert and Ally acquired a new card game while on vacation. They insisted on teaching me how to play. Fish!

We spent a couple of hours playing. I won each game. Tried to lose. It was impossible. I wanted them to have the joy of winning!

Robert plays seriously. Ally is all over the place. She makes up her own rules, tries to sneak a look at your cards and so forth.

It was fun!

Corey and I spoke regarding the old seven mile bridge. He said it was open Saturday when they drove by. In fact, he had pictures he took of people walking on the bridge. Lisa was driving at the time.

Either Saturday was the last day the bridge was open or no one was on the bridge in mid afternoon Sunday because it was too hot. I do not know. But will find out.

Today is a I don’t know day. Nothing planned. May get a manicure. May write. Whatever, I will enjoy it.

You enjoy your day, also!

6 comments on “

  1. >president

    Ahh, you're a socialist at heart. "Free TV"? There's no such thing as "free". Do you then enslave those that work on the show — the camera man, the grip, the writers — to work for no pay. Argh!

    And, as a "let's eat children" counter, let's put the Presidency on ebay. Cut all the illusions. Let the candidates bid for it. After all stripped of all delusions, that's what it is. Why spend millions for a job that supposedly pays a few hundred k$!

    And, any kind of cap, (McCain Feingold?), empowers the liberal media to campaign for "their" guy. How fair is that?

    >fish

    My wife would let the children win; I thought that wasn't fair to the children. When they did beat me, boy did they crow about it. And, I'd emulate their behavior when they lost, I'd cry, claim foul, and demand a rematch. Everyone laughed. But was it a teachable moment? Early generations of children tell me it was. "Remember when I taught you a lesson and beat you." Yup, it has to mean something when you win.

  2. Your comments regarding limiting the length of a campaign and the amount of money spent is done, to some extent, in some foreign countries. To be hearing the political bs 18 months prior to an election is unacceptable. It is abusive to us. If they can't make their point in 2 months they shouldn't be running for political office.

  3. Lou-

    Good thoughts on campaign reform. My concern is that your proposal might make things worse by encouraging larger spending and even more aggressive tactics by those not accountable.

    The campaigns and candidates themselves would be limited as to time and amount spent on their bids for office. However, private individuals and groups would expend huge amounts of money on advertisements and other methods of promoting their candidates. It would be almost impossible to meaningfully limit such activities without violating the First Amendment.

    There is no question that the worst ads these days are often run by groups with no direct connection to a particular campaign. They take the cheap shots, get the negative information out there, and allow the candidates to save face by claiming they had nothing to do with the ads.

    The "free tv" idea is pretty entertaining.

  4. Making new laws ALWAYS seems to have unintended consequenses.

    A sitting President (ot congressman) would have tremendous advantage over someone trying to knock him out. Making the preseidency a 1 term job might help.

    But we'd still have the problem of defining where "campaigning" starts and "Listening tours" ends.

    Starting small – make the elected positions a part time job rather than a career. Get these A-Holes out before they can start stealing our money.

  5. Limiting both campaign time and money is a good idea whose time should have come long ago..
    Forcing networks to provide free air time ??!! How does one even begin to comment.. John is right, thats as socialist as you can get, maybe even bordering on fascism.. Money doesn't really grow on trees[ I've looked for years], someone has to pay for that.. Guess who that would be.. I better stop.. Patrick

  6. Lou,

    The old 7 mile bridge is open to pedestrians and bicyclists as far as Pigeon Key. There have been grumblings by the state about closing it, but no firm decisions.

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