Q: How do you monetize a civic event like an election?

[canetoad]

Answer: Draw it out. Make the campaign last eighteen months to two years and release contentious polls frequently.

IMO the voters of America are being played by the ridiculously lengthy campaigns designed to empty your pockets, exhaust your empathy and pit neighbour against neighbour.

Ask yourselves: Who are the winners in this process? Many other countries have six week campaigns and do just fine.

[brooklynite]

1. Campaigns are not "designed to empty your pockets"

Campaigns are designed to win elections. That may mean start six months before Election Day, or it may mean lay the groundwork four years before election day by gaining public exposure and collecting chits for helping other candidates and Party Committees.

Case in point: Governor Newsom gave a speech to the Iowa Democratic Party this weekend. Is he "campaigning"? Did someone force him to start five years before the 2028 election? Or did he think it was good political exposure.

FWIW: Legally, the campaign "starts" when filing for the general election begins. But that pesky First Amendment means you can't stop a prospective candidate from doing political things beforehand. I'll also point out that those wonderful countries with six week election campaigns more often than not deny you the voter an option to pick the Party candidates.

[canetoad]

3. I'm not going to insult you

By laughing out loud at your ludicrous comments, but I will suggest that you know no better because you have never resided or voted in another country.

But please, read this article: https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/all-trump-all-the-time-former-president-s-legal-problems-a-bonanza-for-network-20231006-p5ea6n.html

A snip:

Without making clear how many of its viewers are Republicans, MSNBC said its GOP audience increased 24 per cent this spring, compared to 2022, and 37 per cent in a middle America region that includes Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa.

Can you expand on your statement about six week campaigns denying me some options?

[brooklynite]

5. I have no idea why you cited that material, which has nothing to do with the "right" length of a campaign.

[canetoad]

7. It refers to the money-making capacities

Of extremely long, contentious campaigns by highlighting the drawcard of trumps candidacy.

[brooklynite]

9. Campaigns were just as long decades ago. Trump has nothing to do with it.

[canetoad]

10. True

He's just the icing on the cake.

[Silent Type]

2. What countries have 6-week campaigns? In just about every true democracy, next campaign begins day after election,

or certainly inauguration.

[canetoad]

4. Australia, for one

It varies, I remember one of less than that but no longer than 2 months. Possibly UK and Canada. Definitely NZ. Are you seeing a pattern here?

[Silent Type]

6. So an incumbent who can run for another term, doesn't "campaign" until 2 months before elections?

And opposition doesn’t do anything until 2 months before election? And there are no approval polls until 2 months before election? And no one gives a damn . . . . .

Sorry, I don’t think so.

[canetoad]

8. Ok. You are right and I am wrong

Oops, I got that the wrong way around.

I live here. I have for sixty years. Maybe you are seeing something that I have missed in all that time.

[Silent Type]

11. Are there approval polls before election? If yes, Australia ain't much different than USA.

If No, I am surprised and will consider I have learned something new.

[canetoad]

13. Of course there are polls

But not many.

Are you aware that we have compulsory voting in Australia? And that when we compulsarily (is that a word?) vote, we do it by marking our ballots 1 to 5 or six - in your terms, ranked choice voting?

Nearly all Aussies regard voting as a civic duty and turn out to cast their vote on election day, where sausages are sizzled and folk catch up with their neighbours. Penalties for not voting (and I know this was your next question) are small - a few bucks, smack on the wrist. Usually applied to protest non-voters. It's just something that we cheerfully do. It's out duty.

Feel free to PM to share voting differences; I joined DU to understand the US system more closely and I have done that.

[Silent Type]

15. Then, your campaigns are like ours, longer than when the the Party nominees are named in August.

I’m not being contentious. It’s just I’m sure your candidates are just like ours, they are running/campaigning long before the date their name is printed on the ballot.

BTW, I prefer Australia’s position on guns and many other issues. Glad to have your perspective.

[canetoad]

16. Would it comfort you

To think that other countries shared the US election craziness?
It may be better to accept that other nations have different systems and function quite happily and peacefully with them.
And no guns.

[brooklynite]

12. "Keir Starmer's speech to the North East Chamber of Commerce"

There’s a stretch of the A1 that the Prime Minister has recently promised to upgrade. But there’s a catch. Because he announced he would upgrade it in 2020, when he was Chancellor.

Just like Theresa May’s Government did in 2017. Just like David Cameron did in 2014. Just like the Conservative manifesto promised in 2010.

It’s a metaphor for how our country’s been run for the past thirteen years. The cameras get called, the press releases written.

All smiles for the photos, and then it’s back to Westminster. Job done. Rinse and repeat.

https://labour.org.uk/updates/press-releases/keir-starmers-speech-to-the-north-east-chamber-of-commerce/

Please describe what does and doesn't constitute a "campaign" (nb: the next UK election isn't until 2025).

[canetoad]

14. Can't be bothered

Responding to obscure references. You win. Everyone thinks so.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. Your neighbor to the North, of which you could learn a bit more about

It's big.

It's an ally.

It's a good country, worth knowing a little about.

Canada beats "American exceptionalism" in several key areas you could easily find out.

[Hekate]

17. This is very perceptive, canetoad

I appreciate the insight.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. Canada has 6-8 week elections and limited funding

All the same, the Leader of the Opposition is in continual attack mode, some of which is desirable in terms of holding Government accountable, but a lot of it is just twisted and warped innuendo, "Will the Prime Minister tell us when he is going to stop kicking his dog?"

[malaise]

20. Neo-liberal 'democracy'

Financed by the billionaires - it is almost a complete farce.

Sadly these high priced campaigns are spreading.