Something is very wrong when the candidates get the nomination not through persuasion of the respective party voters and merit,but getting the influential wealthy contributors to support them,leaving those who have ideas and principles left at the starting gate.WE should have a few months to test the character,mettle and see the political talents the candidates possess at work,building a case for a national campaign..not buying it from the wealthy party activists,and that goes for both parties.
The parties could do something about this, of course. It doesn't take government intervention, or at least it shouldn't. If a party is interested in a quality candidate, not one who has rich friends, it could very simply say that 1/2 of all money raised yb candidates for the primaries goes to a fund that will be divided among candidates who don't have such wealthy donors -- say, any candidate getting 5% or more in a poll of 10,000 voters nationally.
Another item that would help is just tell candidates that any money they have left over after a campaign isn't theirs any more; it goes into a fund to help get less-known candidates out where people can take a look at them.
So if Billary Glintone has $17.6 million left after a run for governor, it goes to the party's "Broaden the Race" fund. If Billary then raises $8 million one weekend for a campaign for the presidency, $4 million goes to the Glintone campaign, and $4 million to the BtR fund, giving the fund $21.6 million. If Bedrock Oregama has a debt of $0.4 million from his senate campaign, and he raises $3 million in a weekend for a presidential campaign, first he pays off the debt,and then the Oregama campaign gets $1.3 million and the BtR fund gets $1.3 million.
Now Phil Riggerson decides to run, and three others, and they each have about $1 million. There's now $22.9 million in the fund, and if it's divided among only the four newbies, they'll each have more than the better-known candidates -- not a good thing. Since there's enough to do the job, the board at this point sends out checks so every candidate has $5 to start with, and has $2.2 million left in the BtR fund. And as fundraising continues, the BtR gets its half, and the board decides how to divvie it up.
And of course the national committee could solicit funds for the BtR fund directly, and maybe even endowments -- there are enough filthy rich Democrats in the country they could match an Ivy League endowment between one full moon and the next. Then it would be easy enough to hand out, say $10 million to every prospective presidential candidate who meets the 5% "I'd vote for him/her" standard.
On the other hand, maybe the parties like being owned by the filthy rich....
