Wouldn’t it be great if we learned a few lessons from whatever it was that just unfolded over the last year-and-a-half?
Wouldn’t it be great if we came to the realization that it’s virtually criminal to spend $2 billion on a presidential campaign in which voters felt worse about our candidates and our country, and less enlightened about our government, than when the whole thing began?
Comments
Comparing Obama's trashing of Romney to Romney's trashing of Obama seems like a poor example, in that most of Obama's criticism was far more accurate and important to determining who should be the President. Frankly, Romney never exhibited any presidential quality, and his tenure as governor was mediocre at best. Moreover, he repeatedly showed himself who was oblivious to the concerns of most people, not indifferent, but oblivious. And finally, he lied so much that he didn't deserve the nation's trust. I confess that I have strong opinions on this subject, but to me, it's embarrassing that so many people in this country voted for him and whatever it was he represented.
The electoral college certainly needs revision, not abolition.
Honestly, the biggest thing we've learned, which we learn every election is that we need much stricter controls on campaign spending. When are we going to do something about that? It's clear that at least the Judicial Branch of the Federal Government isn't going to resolve the issue. It's time that we demand Congress and the President stop the insanity of escalating campaign spending.
wouldn't it be greater if you started practicing the almost lost art of journalism once again. you and some of your colleagues made a total mockery of the words impartial and objective so, TO THE SOILS GO THE VICTOR. ma
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Columnist do not have to be impartial or objective.
scuse me, i should have said, TO THE SPOILS GO THE VICTOR. ma
No, ace, you should have said, TO THE VICTOR GO THE SPOILS.
Actually, you shouldn't have said a blessed thing, because half of what you say is incomprehensible, the rest is hateful. And once more, ignoring punctuation is just being rude, But that's just Mikey being Mikey. mw
In contrast to the disappointment of the losers, which is already evident in the comments, I see a measured reflection of a process run amok in Brian's questions today. There are many things that need fixing. While we don't have duels between a vice president and an enemy these days, we've got plenty of problems that need to be fixed. Nice job. Don't hold your breath waiting for movement on the questions.
Brian - Money, unfortunately, matters, and MONEY IS LOUD AND OBNOXIOUS. We do not worship any god...we worship loud money!
True. Donald Trump comes to mind!
A good piece although I don't think the electoral college is the demon so many like to make it out to be. It does not in fact minimize or aggradize any one person vote it does however maintain the importance of each individual state as a whole. Without the electoral one could make the arguement as goes Calif., NY., so goes the nation. Or the whole nation could be held hostage by a certain georgraphic split. Look at the popular vote splits between the old South and the North. No, I for one think it keeps the nation as a "Republic" as opposed to a majority "Democracy" in which I have little faith. I in fact think this election and even the 2000 election proved its importance not its antiquation.
Yes, Brian, you're absolutely right. But the chances of your suppositions happening are greater this morning. Let's hope President Obama comes out of this renewed and determined to close the chapter on Citizens United and that folks other side of the aisle agree to step back from the cliff and start making nice.
Amen. Would be great if ANY of these things occurred after this horrendous campaign.
Yes...but let's not tamper with the electoral college and the Constitution.
You have begun. Now stay on course and keep it civil. We have a little time to make it right. Let's talk with each other before the next election.
Great commentary, Brian!
One of the problems is that most Americans are more interested in reality tv and the Kim Kardashians of the world than what effects them on a daily basis. They'll fight for things that happen in their backyard but the further removed they are, the less they feel like they have a say in what happens. The biggest issue, as you point out, is money in politics. Money maintains the status quo as those who have money and power don't want the system to change. To me, one of the simplest ways of getting money out of politics, and getting things back to what our forefathers envisioned, would be to implement term limits. Serving as a representative or senator was never meant to be an occupation. Incumbents spend an inordinate amount of time staying elected which means that they have to maintain their war chest. Maintaining a war chest means taking money from those they're beholden to, in most cases big business. It's a vicious circle where the status quo is maintained. Obama thought he could change things when he went into office but he soon found out how hard wired things are. The American public must rise up and take back their country from special interests. It will be only then that there's true opportunity for all.
Well written and right on the money. "Reality" tv has generally lowered our standards of behaviour and contributed to the dumbing down of America.
Term limits would serve us all.
"...lowered our standards of behaviour and contributed to the dumbing down of America." When was this 'golden age' of American culture you imagine? The 1980s? 50s? 1800s? 1775?. The fact is people have been stupid, shallow, and venal throughout human history. In general Americans today, on average, are better educted and know more about the world than they did at any time in the past. Is that good enough? No, but failing to understand that will not help you to bring about change.
BTW - The tired fantasy that term limits are some magic bullet is non-sense. We have term limits already, they are called elections. If a politician is failing to serve the interests of his or her constituents, it is up to the people they serve to see that they are replaced, not some arbitrary statute.
Wouldn't it be great if political commentary in most major media outlets didn't assume that opposing view points are equally valid and that fact checking is someone else's job?
We also need a set of federal guidelines for how elections are run - guidelines like how many poll places per state population, consistent id requirements, early voting, etc. There is NO excuse for people in states like Ohio and Florida to have to wait 3 or more hours to vote.
If the moderate republicans don't speak up against the extremism of the tea party they will lose the house in two years. I can hear the president saying "Give me a congress I can work with..."
How much was spent in total across all races in the U.S.? Ike warned of the dangers of a military industrial complex that would strangle the country and have oustsized influence on our lives. Turns out the real dangerous industrial complex is the political one. This has to have been the biggest transfer of wealth to consultants, advertisers and media on record.
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yup, it would be great.
I'd add one more wish.
Wouldn't it be great if the main stream media HAD to be objective instead of covering a President's butt?
Where is the news about Benghazi?
Let me help you out. Here's the news about Benghazi: Fours Americans died weeks ago because the world is a complex, scary, and ultimately uncontrollable place, regardless of what some may wish to believe. In the days since then thousands of Americans have died in many different ways, some at the hands of other Americans, and none of whom seem to concern you in the least. Just because you are obsessed by what is, I'm sorry to have to say, a minor incident in this violent world, that doesn't mean it has any larger signifigance beyond your fervent desire to make it one.
To echo geolovely, what about the many more Americans killed by automatic weapons in the hands of bad and crazy people? Oh, that's right, they are the cost of freedom. But you'll continue to exploit the deaths of brave Americans overseas for political purposes, even after you've lost. Very unseemly!
Good column and points, Brian. I continue to laugh out loud thinking of someone like Romney, very dignified and all in his suit, dancing around and yelling like the Scarecrow on the Wizard of Oz, every time he lied. Too funny.
Wouldn't it be great for the health of journalism if the "cynicism gene" that seems to afflict the souls of some journalists could be excised. Almost as an afterthought you trashed John Tierney without any thoughtfully considered basis. It was an unfortunate example of Fox "News" journalism and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Brian, you have been on a real roll this year with many of your best columns ever, and "Wouldn't it be great..." is one of them.
I would also mention the quotations from the Senate Minority Leader and Rush Limbaugh several years ago that they were praying and working for the Obama administration to be a complete failure. For leading Republicans to announce they hope for the failure of the American government and work actively to ensure its failure strikes me as wrong-headed as political leaders could be. You can oppose an opponent's policies without holding the entire nation hostage to infantile self-serving attitudes. It would be great if both parties began actually working to resolve issues rather than make them fodder for our endless, absolutely endless and demeaning political campaigns.