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The US government should NOT help fund election campaigns. It would only make the problem worse!

Without a doubt, current election campaigns favor those with money - the elite. There are plenty of intelligent, passionate, service-minded people who could serve their country in an elected position. However, if the money isn't there, it just won't happen.

Part of the problem is that campaign spending has gotten out of hand. Candidates spend an astronomical amount of money trying to outdo the competition and get the attention of the electorate. It hasn't always been this way, but a few things have contributed to the current state of things.

The electorate has become much more distracted over the years. So much competes for our attention now and we are inclined to give in to the distraction. We are not as interested or invested in campaigns and elections. Many of us have become disenfranchised, often feeling like our vote or our opinions don't make much of a difference anyway.

Additionally, the cost of advertising has gone up - way up. I spent the better part of ten years as a media planner at an advertising agency - buying time on television and radio, space in magazines, newspapers and internet for my clients. Many media offer discounted "political rates" for campaign season. These are the lowest rates the media outlet can offer but even these rates can be expensive. I saw rates go up just in the years I bought media. Advertising budgets that were once quite adequate just don't compete anymore.

Not only does it cost more to get ads on all the "best" TV networks and publications but it costs to get the best ads too. No more simple ads showing a nice picture of the candidate with some text giving us a summary of what he's all about. Ads have become much more sophisticated. The "sophisticated", media-savvy electorate will hardly look at a candidate who cannot provide ads that meet the high standards we've come to expect in our advertising.

So all of this means that the candidates with money are the only ones with real access to today's elections. Could the government change this? Sure. And campaign reform is trying to change some of this. However, the government should NOT help fund campaigns. The American people pay for enough already!

Our tax dollars should not be allocated for outrageously expensive advertising campaigns unless they intend to let us have some say in how the money is spent. Not likely, but it is our money they'd be using after all - call it government

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