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Nothing will ever change until the advertisers are booted out of the political system. I never did understand the rationale that free speech in politics extended to a person's right to raise and spend millions of dollars to broadcast 30-second soundbites which are supposed to substitute for an informed decision.
Why can't voters demand that all election information and debate be disseminated through state-run websites and debates, which would be broadcast on dedicated network and cable channels? Candidates could express their views on an equal footing, and voters could post queries on issues that each candidate could then either respond to or ignore at their peril.
Some people will protest that certain free speech rights are being infringed upon, but who are we really talking about? It's those unaffiliated party organizations, who are the ones doing the "dirty work" for the party or a candidate by spreading misleading negative campaign ads that noone wants to be associated with.
I know this sounds simplistic, but sometimes its the obvious solutions that get overlooked. Until Madison Avenue is banned from the political process, money will always rule the lives of our politicians.
