PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REFORM
Salvaging the Original Intentions of the Founding Fathers
through Modern Electronic Technology
III. The Regional Run-Offs
So the third step will continue the screening process by dividing the nation into four sections of roughly equal size. These will be the Northeast, the Midwest, the South, and the West. (See Table C.) In these Regional Run-Offs, there could be 12 to 14 debaters per region, assuming that each state provides a champion. A series of six or seven debates will be broadcast in each region, beginning on the first Monday in August. If two one-hour debates are aired each night, the first round will be completed in, at most, four evenings. Three short rounds of debate would follow (as illustrated in Table D). One victor will emerge from each region.
The four regional victors will be the finest examples of America's leadership. The voters of each region will have selected these four as the best presidential timber that their region has to offer the nation. These four people will be well worth getting to know. Therefore, the new election game will pause for a September break. During this time the nation will have an opportunity to familiarize itself with its prime presidential potential. Students will have time to get settled at school and discuss the issues. The candidates will take part in media interviews. Their views will be publicized, analyzed, and discussed. They will have time to address civic minded groups and to meet people personally.
Media interviews are free, and civic groups can pay the travel expenses of those they invite to speak to them. Travel costs incurred by the candidates to and from the TV studio for the debate will be reimbursed by the government. Federal law will require employers to give candidates paid leave of absence for September so that they will have time to make themselves known to the public. Thus the rich and those with leisure time will have no advantage over the working candidate. Finally, a presidential election will cost the prospective presidents exactly what the Founders intended it to cost -- nothing!
Constitutional law forbids legal restrictions on how much money a person or an independent group can spend to promote a candidate, or on how much a candidate can spend to promote himself. But this will not result in an unfair advantage for the rich or well-connected. Excessive spending to condition the public to recognize the name of a candidate is only useful when voting is done by marking a ballot with a list of names on it. In the new election game the public will vote after it sees the candidate debate. Then the computer code number of the candidate will be more important than his name! Also, big spending could backfire by arousing resentment, as has happened in the past.
TOP ABOUT THE AUTHOR INTRODUCTION THE NEW ELECTION GAME THE PRESIDENTIAL LITERACY TEST THE STATE ELECTION DEBATES THE REGIONAL RUNOFFS
THE NATIONAL NOMINATING DEBATES THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DEBATES
