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http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/take_back_the_airwaves/

NAB-bing the Election


Posted on Apr 10, 2007By Amy Goodman

"As the TV pundits on the networks gab about the tens of millions of dollars raised by the top presidential candidates, what they don’t talk about is where that money is going: to their own networks.

"Money is now considered the single most important factor in our electoral process. Ideas and issues take a back seat to the bottom line. This prostitution of our electoral process has one key culprit: television advertising."


"The costs of running for federal office have been skyrocketing. More than $880 million was raised by the 2004 presidential campaigns. The 2008 election is expected to cost more than $1 billion. Sixty percent will be spent on advertising."
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Pogo,

Interesting article, and basically true. Money is the tainted mother's milk of politics.

We have C-SPAN and C-SPAN2, so why not a cable channel dedicated to presidential candidates? Let everyone have an hour at a time, rotate them for a few days, then let them speak some more. No money involved.

By everyone, I mean every legitimate candidate. The Ron Pauls and the Libertarian candidates, everyone who has a national party or nationwide interest, such as Ross Perot.

DF
quote:
Originally posted by DeepFat:
Pogo,

Interesting article, and basically true. Money is the tainted mother's milk of politics.

We have C-SPAN and C-SPAN2, so why not a cable channel dedicated to presidential candidates? Let everyone have an hour at a time, rotate them for a few days, then let them speak some more. No money involved.

By everyone, I mean every legitimate candidate. The Ron Pauls and the Libertarian candidates, everyone who has a national party or nationwide interest, such as Ross Perot.

DF
Great Idea. It could be done easily and cheaply, and it could also be linked to PC's and iPods and the rest of the communication system. It could be done with recorded material, time slotted and rotated so that exposure would be fair and equitable. It could be set up on a day to day schedule, say Monday for Presidential candidates, Tuesday and Wednesday for Statewide office seekers, Thursday and Friday for Local and county Candidates, and off season it could be used to publicize agendas and legislative actions.
I would suggest financing the set up costs with the excise tax on Cable, Cell Phone, Telephone and satellite services. After the system is running the cost of keeping it up could be covered with the same revenue.
Final step, require all paid advertising for political candidates to be placed on the system, and that placement be announced in the broadcast or printed advertising.

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