Hey Big Spenders!

Image via WikipediaAh well, in the midst of financial turmoil in America, news that Americans would be taxed to support any bail out, huge, massively huge spending on overseas military action…it gets announced that the two presidential candidates are the biggest spenders in history when it comes to campaigns. 1.48 billion dollars! That is a lot of money. Do they actually need to spend all that? is that what Americans need to run a campaign? Is that what the voters expect? Can’t they do a no frills campaign? When our politicians start splashing around the cash, we get stuck into them…we even mail them back their flashy brochures and then come up with a list of preferred alternatives for political spending. A lot of political debate can be done on TV, the radio, in the papers, on the Net. Flyers don’t have to be expensive and rallies don’t have to be star studded? Or do they? America must want a lot from their candidates. Why do they have to spend that much? Luckily the fund raising has been made easier with the internet and it has actually drawn a commitment from the young ones. Now, that is a good idea to get young people involved in the political workings of their country. I realise the spending has mostly been done before the blow out occurred…maybe we all need to rethink political campaigns. The money could go towards more important things.

The Home Stretch Election 2008

Image via WikipediaI was hoping that the home run on this American election would be able to be completed without the smearing, jeering and pot shots. I hate it when you get a political campaign which just deteriorates into mud slinging and it is a feature which became prevalent in the Bush/Blair/Howard era and it was not worthy of us. To have our politicians do nothing more that take aim and fire insults and nonsense to each other is just so undignified and immensely irritating when you know that we can all do better. The political discussions which have hitherto occurred have been interesting. They were interesting during the French campaign too and the fact we are interested here tells me how much thought has gone into the campaigns…and how much Australians have woken up. We do take a proper interest in world affairs now and we see that as important if we are to work with people. Please don’t let this deteriorate into mudslinging. It has been so good to watch a tough campaign be fought all along the way. Low level thoughtless nonsense will neither further nor help anyone.You cannot fly like an eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys.