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I have been trying follow the presidential race closely, but it seems to me that all the news services, both in print and online have lost the focus of what an election is supposed to be about. I always thought elections were about issues! The only issues being presented are monetary.
The issue the media seems to be covering is fund raising, and in doing so are predicting that those who raise the most cash are the forerunners. Perhaps this is true, if so it is a sad statement on the state of politics in America.I personally believe that the biggest issues are campaign finance reform and the selling out of our government officials to corporations and special interest groups. Therefore those who are raising the most money are the ones we should not be voting for, they are selling their souls for something and you can bet it's not for the benefit of the common man, more likely the rich and powerful.
So the question is, "Are there any issues for the common man? What about Campaign finance reform, Tax reform, escalating credit card fees, a peaceful conclusion of the war on drugs, and the related issues of medical marijuana, and the erosion of our civil liberties? What about prison over-crowding with non-violent citizens due to mandatory sentencing and three strikes laws? What about global warming, air and water pollution. What about spending millions of dollars on failed missions to mars, while the numbers of homeless increase daily? What about the ever growing presence of American troops at or near every possible conflict, is it really our duty to police the world?Just where do the candidates stand on these issues? I don't know because the media seems to care more about who is raising the most money, yet at the same time they decline to inform us of just who is donating all those millions of dollars. Certainly it's not the millions of Americans who are now classified as the working poor because they are trapped in minimum wage jobs with no relief in sight...
Wouldn't it be nice if there was a candidate who was declining campaign donations from the rich and corporate elite? A candidate who would owe no favors, a candidate who would stand strong against the ever growing tide of special interests? A candidate who thought it was more important to raise the standards of living for those on the bottom of the ladder of success, instead of providing more tax breaks for multi-national corporations and billionaires?
Wouldn't be nice to have a candidate or representative who actually responds to email? Well there is, and I am that candidate! So why does the media not report on me? I think because they know I will not be buying any full page ads in the newspapers or buying hundreds of thirty second spots on prime time television. Perhaps because they too are in the pockets of the corporate elite and have sold out as well. John Galt jr.
