Over at PJM, ol’ Roger thinks our presidential campaigns are too long (I agree) and wants to do something about it:
How about postponing the campaign until Thanksgiving and allowing the country and Congress to go about their real business? The British manage their campaigns in only 60 days. Maybe we could squeeze it down to, say, 180.
While he makes some excellent points about the folly of long election campaigns, Roger falls into the liberal trap of wishful thinking. Whenever some asswipe Lefty (i.e. all of them) makes some stupid proposal, the common response from conservatives is twofold:
- “How are you gonna pay for it?” — OR —
- “How are you going to do that, exactly ?”
To whit: “Free health care for everybody” gets question #1 in response; and “We’re going to come around to your house and take away your guns!” gets question #2.
The problem with trying to limit the length of presidential (or any) electoral campaigns is that we have that pesky Constitution, in the form of the First Amendment.
If it’s (say) a week before Thanksgiving and someone says, “When I’m president, I will…”, telling someone that “You’re not allowed to say that yet” would result in you getting your pee-pee severely whacked by the courts, and deservedly so.
The Brits get away with their 60-day election campaigns by simply banning election speeches and so on before the start date. Try doing that in the U.S. of A., and a shit-storm will ensue. We’re a free people, and if Governor Sextoy Butt-Plug (D) of Michigan wants to announce in 2019 that she’s going to run for the presidency in 2031, she’s perfectly within her rights.
I’m irritated by the perpetual campaigning thing myself, but at the same time, the First Amendment is more important than my irritation. Some people are frightened by guns, but the Second Amendment is more important than their trepidation. That’s how the whole thing works, even if it is inconvenient sometimes.
