2012 election may be another teachable moment

According to an article written by Beth Fouhy, Associated Press titled Goodbye to federal funding for 2012 candidates “a cornerstone of U.S. politics since the 1970s, public funding of presidential campaigns may soon go the way of other relics of the era like long sideburns and lava lamps. Neither President Barack Obama nor any of the leading 2012 Republican contenders is expected to accept federal matching funds and the limits they impose.  Obama's record-breaking fundraising in the 2008 campaign allowed him to abandon the public system in both the Democratic primaries and the general election. With his success as a benchmark, top-tier Republican candidates now are planning to go it alone.  But the emergence of free-spending independent political groups — since the Supreme Court in 2009 cleared the way for unlimited corporate spending in campaigns — is expected to help close the imbalance between Obama and the GOP. Several of the Republicans also have immense personal wealth.  Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, turned down matching funds for the primaries but then took them in the general election — a move that severely hindered his ability to compete financially with Obama.”

Now while it is a sad thing to may be seeing the final curtain call for public funding, it may be a blessing in disguise and a teachable moment for not only those seeking office but those who hire them as well.  It is strongly believed that what gets politicians elected is the amount of money that they have in their campaign war chest and even though that may have some merit, I believe that the real lesson has nothing to do with the amount of money they raise.  I would suggest that the winners of these contests are chosen more on message instead of money.  If voters do not see something in the candidate or hear something in what they are saying, you can be a Meg Whitman and still lose.  Since so may feel so strongly that it’s the money that makes the man/woman and not the other way around, I would say having it to where money is front and center and studying the results should teach us all a very valuable lesson.  No amount of money is worth the soul of a country and this up-coming election should teach us that in no uncertain terms.  The public, as a whole, may be rented but we can never be bought.