U.S. Elections 2008: General Elections -- Analysis and Commentary

[Lemur]

Um.. okay, some wierd new age health group, vs. people refusing people services or pastors telling people they'll go to hell for voting for our guy.

I thought CR's link was brilliant. I so totally want this guy in the voting booth next to me:

Ronin, the situation for the parking guy is even worse, as it seems he has long-term parking contracts with the county and city. So now he's claiming it was an attempt at humor. I dare you to spot the clear and obvious humor in that sign.

I doubt anyone will bother suing the dude. He doesn't look like he's worth it.

[m52nickerson]

Tonight on TV the Candidates may face some of there toughest question.......Nickelodeon viewers!

In all seriousness Nick does have a show tonight were Obama and McCain will be answering questions from kids. It will be interesting to see how they explain their plans to children.

[Louis VI the Fat]

It's the battle of the worst supporters!

The Republicans have bitter partisan parking attendents. The Democrats have orgasm lessons with this girl:





This election is over.

[KukriKhan]

Tonight on TV the Candidates may face some of there toughest question.......Nickelodeon viewers!

In all seriousness Nick does have a show tonight were Obama and McCain will be answering questions from kids. It will be interesting to see how they explain their plans to children.

Totally agree; and what questions the kids ask. The Oct 20th show, where they tally up the kid-vote should be interesting too.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Oh this is lovely:
Many convicted felons remain on voter rolls, according to Sun Sentinel investigation

More than 30,000 Florida felons who by law should have been stripped of their right to vote remain registered to cast ballots in this presidential battleground state, a Sun Sentinel investigation has found.

Many are faithful voters, with at least 4,900 turning out in past elections.

Another 5,600 are not likely to vote Nov. 4 — they're still in prison.

Of the felons who registered with a party, Democrats outnumber Republicans more than two to one.

Of course, those republicans are racists and bigots because they want measures so this can't happen.

Um.. okay, some wierd new age health group, vs. people refusing people services or pastors telling people they'll go to hell for voting for our guy.

Yeah, it's balanced. We're just as bad, please excuse us CR.

Koga, as I said, the path you want to go down will just lead to insanity. You go on believing that data is the plural of anecdotes if you want, but I think Lemur understands that the posting of this stuff is not to add evidence to a 'Your side is truly worse than our side' file, but as a diversion.

I could unload all sorts of crazy leftist actions, but that'd just hurt the thread (more).

CR

[Askthepizzaguy]

Why are you a conservative? What are you trying to conserve?

Why would you even call yourself that?

Pull up a chair and stay a while. Here is why I am a conservative.

1. I believe in mostly capitalism over mostly state-run everything. I'd prefer an employer-based healthcare plan, but I don't see one, and McCain's plan does not solve the problem to my satisfaction.
2. I believe the government is too large as it is.
3. I am baffled by the spending by George W. Bush
4. I do believe liberals go too far, too often, because many of them have lost touch with any sense of morality or values, and insist on forgiving or accepting all kinds of wrong behaviors,
5. And they insist on legalizing the most destructive, vile, addictive drugs. I have personally witnessed what cocaine did to my father. Legalizing that, or any other viciously addictive drug, is a step in the wrong direction. And even though some medications are addictive, they serve a purpose, and are regulated by a doctor. Using hard drugs is a wholly negative thing.
6. Some wackos insist on having the state pay for sex change operations for felons. Hello???
7. I demand troops on our southern border, the drug and human trafficking is out of control.
8. I demand better control of our ports. 9-11 taught us nothing, apparently.
9. I demand an end to out of control spending. Period.
10. I believe Bill Clinton got far too much credit for fixing the budget... I believe a Republican-controlled congress, newly voted in, actually got most of the reforms and budgetary concerns passed. All slick Willy did was stamp his approval.
11. Nancy Pelosi is an abomination. What a terrible speaker. I was excited, a woman speaker, but... she is horrific.
12. Hillary Clinton as president? I'd rather shoot myself. She is more disingenuous than Sarah Palin.


I am not a far right-winger, but that does not mean I can't call myself a conservative. I hold MANY positions consistent with conservative values, and under the definition of conservative, the current administration is not conservative. It's not liberal. It's authoritarian, wasteful, and corrupt, but it tells so many lies that I don't believe there is an ideology behind it at all, except greed and lust for power.

I voted for Bush, and supported him up until the Iraq war. I don't believe the Republican party has a values system or a truly conservative ideology anymore, and I believe they will do anything or say anything to stay in power. I hate the Democrats, as a political party, almost as much, because they were supposed to save us from this mess and they LIED.

So you see, my friend... the Republican party abandoned me, and every other person with a values system.

They were supposed to rein in spending, THEY DIDNT
They were supposed to bring honor and dignity to the white house, THEY DIDNT
They promised not to engage in nation building, THEY DID
They promised to keep the budget balanced, THEY DIDNT
They were supposed to fix the gaping holes in our security from 9-11, THEY DIDNT
They were supposed to care enough about our troops to give them the tools they needed to fight. These are the people who supposedly "get it" more than the democrats on matters of war. THEY DIDNT, and THEY DONT!

The Republican party has turned its back on everything a conservative could ever stand for, and to make up for their knife in our collective backs, they wrap themselves in the flag, pretend to stand up for the troops, call the Democrats traitors and terrorists, and NEVER admit they were wrong about anything or practice a thing called accountability. They spend more time and energy spinning, attacking, lying, grabbing pork barrel money, and everything else I find despicable about washington insiders, and then they accuse the democrats, as if they were without sin.

They propose no new ideas, no new plans, no significant changes, no real reforms, nothing, nothing, NOTHING, and they make 100% negative ads. They talk about Obama and that's all they talk about. They don't have a plan, and they know it. Now, the American people, the moderates at least, are convinced that the Republicans don't have a plan. And the polls show it.

I am against many of the policies of an Obama administration. But quite frankly, IF we are going to spend ourselves to death, I would rather it be on healthcare than on occupying Iraq. I would rather see social security continue. I would rather see health insurance and medicare and student loans than corn subsidies, bridges to nowhere, and tax breaks for the wealthiest of them all, including the freaking oil companies that everyone is complaining make TOO MUCH money.

I'm a conservative. But there is no party for conservatives, and I'm done drinking Red or Blue Kool-Aid. I may not agree with Obama all of the time, but he's shown he's actually focused on the issues and he has a plan. Any plan is better than no plan, and McCain has no plan, and the Republicans' plan is to smear Obama as a Muslim, which he is not, tie him to Ayers, who committed crimes when Obama was 9 years old and is now a professor which McCain himself has worked with before, they appeal to the worst fears and prejudices in people and paint this guy, who has worked in government his whole life and is now nearly 50 years old, who has been a senator, a lawyer, and a state senator, and has proposed new ideas and opposed bad ideas, as some kind of lunatic un-American Terrorist Commie Nazi Muslim who will spend (more than George W Bush?) and spend and spend and tax the poor, poor rich people the same as under the evil Clinton administration, while providing "dangerous" new ideas that are too risky, yet have been proven to work in other states and countries, while current policies are failing.

I should end this before it becomes a diatribe, (too late) but I've made my point. I AM a conservative, and I'm also a rational human being, a moderate, a listener, and a thinker, and I've had it with the Republican party and I've had it with partisan bickering and I've had it with the black and white blue state versus red state divisive fearmongering, the hate-based attacks, the right-and-left wing nutjobs spewing garbage into our collective eye sockets and eardrums, and the lack of leadership and the reliance on ad hominem attacks, argumentum ad populum, argument from authority, and argument from emotion based political discourse.

The Republicans had their chance, for 8 years. They failed. They betrayed real conservative ideals and they destroyed much of the greatness of America, with thousands of troops needlessly killed, huge deficits, wide open borders, out of control spending, nation-building other countries, funding nations who hate us and kill each other with the American dollar or American weapons, the lack of progress on Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, or Iran...

Failure. Time to vote out the incumbents. It's over. I may not always agree with the Democrats, but this year, they do not look exactly like the Republicans, and they provide some solutions to the current crises I can stomach, even if it isn't in the form of limiting government. Regulating it sounds like a good idea at this point.

So yes, I am a conservative. And I am allowed to disagree with the Republicans.

[Koga No Goshi]

Oh this is lovely:
Many convicted felons remain on voter rolls, according to Sun Sentinel investigation




Of course, those republicans are racists and bigots because they want measures so this can't happen.

People who are felons should be bumped from rolls, CR. My problem with Florida particularly when it comes to purging felons is what they did last time around was purge anyone with the same name as a felon, and so a lot of totally innocent people showed up on election day thinking they were registered and were told they weren't on the voter list. And given the vast numbers of people who were purged or not counted for various reasons, 4,900 felons voting is a damn drop in the bucket. I don't think purging 30 or 50,000 people to make sure that 4,900 felon votes aren't slipping through is very good for democracy, and it's even more suspect when the people being purged are heavily from Democratic voting districts.

Koga, as I said, the path you want to go down will just lead to insanity. You go on believing that data is the plural of anecdotes if you want, but I think Lemur understands that the posting of this stuff is not to add evidence to a 'Your side is truly worse than our side' file, but as a diversion.

I could unload all sorts of crazy leftist actions, but that'd just hurt the thread (more).

CR

What data? You linked to a group that practices something called "orgasmic breathing." What the heck was your point? How was that an "answer" to the nutjobs on your side of the aisle who start telling people they're going to hell, aren't welcome in a congregation, aren't allowed to use a parking lot, aren't allowed into meetings or public events, because they vote Democrat? Something tells me that if a Church told people they'd go to hell if they voted Republican you'd be all over that and demanding the IRS remove their tax-exempt status and the Feds step in and how this is proof of the liberal conspiracy to fix the vote.

[seireikhaan]

ATPG- Hear, hear.

Not that I expect much of a response from others, but that was nice post to read, and summarized much of my own current animosity towards the Republican party.

[Koga No Goshi]

ATPG- Hear, hear.

Not that I expect much of a response from others, but that was nice post to read, and summarized much of my own current animosity towards the Republican party.

There's only one way to really force the Rep party to stop .... not being conservative. (Wasn't sure what phrase to use, but I very much recognize that the current "incarnation" of Conservativism, which pretty much started with Reagan, in no way reflects traditional conservativism of like the Goldwater type.) And that's to make them hurt in elections. The Republican Party has no shortage of people who prefer to distance themselves and call themselves Independent, or make sure to make special note that they have problems with the Republican Party. What it does have a shortage of, are people who actually translate that into voting differently in major elections to show their discontent, IMHO.

[Crazed Rabbit]

People who are felons should be bumped from rolls, CR. My problem with Florida particularly when it comes to purging felons is what they did last time around was purge anyone with the same name as a felon, and so a lot of totally innocent people showed up on election day thinking they were registered and were told they weren't on the voter list. And given the vast numbers of people who were purged or not counted for various reasons, 4,900 felons voting is a damn drop in the bucket. I don't think purging 30 or 50,000 people to make sure that 4,900 felon votes aren't slipping through is very good for democracy, and it's even more suspect when the people being purged are heavily from Democratic voting districts.

Well perhaps instead of doing nothing, they could learn from their mistakes and do it correctly this time.

And are you saying 4900 active, illegal voters, isn't large enough to make a difference?

What data? You linked to a group that practices something called "orgasmic breathing." What the heck was your point? How was that an "answer" to the nutjobs on your side of the aisle who start telling people they're going to hell, aren't welcome in a congregation, aren't allowed to use a parking lot, aren't allowed into meetings or public events, because they vote Democrat? Something tells me that if a Church told people they'd go to hell if they voted Republican you'd be all over that and demanding the IRS remove their tax-exempt status and the Feds step in and how this is proof of the liberal conspiracy to fix the vote.

Oh, right. The democrats can do no wrong and would never ever do anything like that, because they're just fundamentally good people unlike those republicans.

I posted the link just as a diversion, not as some comparison to what Lemur's posted. Go on and ignore the vandalism and attacks that have happened on GOP office buildings and vehicles in the past if it doesn't fit with your reality.

CR

[Koga No Goshi]

Well perhaps instead of doing nothing, they could learn from their mistakes and do it correctly this time.

And are you saying 4900 active, illegal voters, isn't large enough to make a difference?

It's statistically insignificant. As I said yes, purge them, but don't blanket purge 300,000 people to make sure you got the 5,000 felons. That's ridiculous overkill and gross incompetence, at best. Planned, at worst.

Oh, right. The democrats can do no wrong and would never ever do anything like that, because they're just fundamentally good people unlike those republicans.

I posted the link just as a diversion, not as some comparison to what Lemur's posted. Go on and ignore the vandalism and attacks that have happened on GOP office buildings and vehicles in the past if it doesn't fit with your reality.

CR

Your problem, CR, is that you think I think Dems are saints. I don't. I do, however, think you are way off on a shaky limb acting like Reps have reason to fear vandalism, exclusion, assasination or use of force brought to bear against them for their political beliefs as Dems do. Looking over the last couple decades there is simply no reason to believe that unless you're running around downtown Philadelphia with a KKK sign or something.

You want me to agree people of any stripe can be crazy? Okay, I'll meet you there. But Dems closing shop doors or bullying votes from the pulpit and in various other questionably legal ways trying to get petty vindictive payback on Reps each election cycle isn't such a normal part of the headlines as Reps doing it to Dems. That's fact.

[m52nickerson]

Totally agree; and what questions the kids ask. The Oct 20th show, where they tally up the kid-vote should be interesting too.

I just finished watching it. (Nickelodeon's you pick the president)

I think it was the best political show I've seen yet. Both McCain and Obama answered the question, nothing new, but there was no arguments. There was no, my opponents plan is wrong. No talking heads getting the way. Just question, answer, you decide who is better.

I thing that struck me is how similar these men are in many things.

When you just stop and think about this race it is amazing. A war hero, with a women running mate, is going up against a Black senator whose running mate lost most family in an accident, but kept going.

[Askthepizzaguy]

There's only one way to really force the Rep party to stop .... not being conservative. (Wasn't sure what phrase to use, but I very much recognize that the current "incarnation" of Conservativism, which pretty much started with Reagan, in no way reflects traditional conservativism of like the Goldwater type.) And that's to make them hurt in elections. The Republican Party has no shortage of people who prefer to distance themselves and call themselves Independent, or make sure to make special note that they have problems with the Republican Party. What it does have a shortage of, are people who actually translate that into voting differently in major elections to show their discontent, IMHO.

My vote is Obama. Like you said, the only way to hurt the republicans for this awful war and the runaway spending is to vote against them. My discontent is very, very obvious.

That, plus Obama plans to spend the money on stuff that helps the people who are in dire straits. I'd prefer we not bankrupt the country further, but since both parties insist on doing so, I'd like the money back as part of healthcare and education.

If you must tax and spend, spend it on people who need it, not people who don't.

[Koga No Goshi]

My vote is Obama. Like you said, the only way to hurt the republicans for this awful war and the runaway spending is to vote against them. My discontent is very, very obvious.

That, plus Obama plans to spend the money on stuff that helps the people who are in dire straits. I'd prefer we not bankrupt the country further, but since both parties insist on doing so, I'd like the money back as part of healthcare and education.

If you must tax and spend, spend it on people who need it, not people who don't.

I agree 100% with you. The talk of fiscal responsibility hard pitched on the right at this time is bunk, there's no reason to believe a Rep in office is going to do anything but massively spend on things questionably in our interests. I agree that if the gov't is going to spend so many billion or trillion, spend it on things that are investments in us.. infrastructure, education, colleges, healthcare, new industries. Not on private contractors overseas. And those are the two only real choices right now.

I would submit, however, that you are a minority really sticking to your guns, from what I can see. So many Reps just hate the Dems so much that they wind up either rationalizing a way to vote Rep and just grumble about change, or maybe an obscure third party. Neither of which sends a clear message to the GOP about its course, IMHO.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Hate should have no place in an election.

Whoever has the best plan for the direction of the country should win, or at least the plan itself should be executed. Ideas are the reason for elections. McCain's latest rallying call is "this election is about character".

Character? Both Senator Obama and McCain obviously have enough character in the eyes of the people of the United States to serve in elected office. Making this about "character" is more like a rationalization for the decision to attack Obama in an ad hominem fashion, rather than challenge his ideas with better ones. From the McCain ads, which are 100% negative anti-Obama screeds, after his promise to run a clean, respectful election, to the tactic of using Sarah Palin as the one who gets her hands dirty and appeals to the basest of the Republican base, to the lies and distortions told, to McCain's record of being in the Senate this long and watching the failure happen, unable to stop it...

McCain is not the one to be talking about his record, his experience, or his character. It should be about ideas, but it's not. It's about Obama being a black son of an African Muslim, who votes Democratic, which has nothing to do with the issues. And this latest nonsense has not persuaded me. Palin's Troopergate, Biden's past gaffes, McCain's shameful rallies and belated response, Obama's former ties to a questionable character, none of that matters. I concluded Palin was nothing but an empty skirt the instant she started screeching about the glass ceiling, trying to get Clinton supporters on her side, the ideological polar opposite, merely because they are both women.

Two can play that game. Huckabee supporters, vote Obama... he's a man!


Palin only ever talks about energy and oil, and attacking the opposition. She doesn't even fully understand or agree with all of McCain's positions or the Bush doctrine, yet she is in the position of arguing in their favor. She wasn't vetted properly, and she's become an embarrassing noise machine bereft of ideas. McCain has basically abandoned his legacy, which was a bipartisan maverick who cared about the issues and respected his opponents... he's abandoned the issues, is now lockstep with the worst ideas of the Republican party, demonizes Democrats, and has smeared Obama in the most shameful ways. His lack of respect, eye contact, or politeness in the debates was shameful.

I could go on and on about scandals and misrepresentations and poor voting records and everything, to assassinate Palin's character and McCain's character... but that is the politics of ad hominem arguments, fearmongering, and avoids the real issues. Troopergate, to me, is a non-issue. Palin simply doesn't know what she's talking about and has no business being the VP. Even so, if she supported a PLAN or an IDEA I could possibly agree with... if McCain had new ideas and wasn't lockstep with George Bush 90% of the time... if the message coming from the Republicans wasn't something besides an anti-Obama hate screed, there might be a way to swing me back to the Republican side.

Convince me with IDEAS, not smears.

In the land of ideas, partisan fearmongering, hate and prejudice, and smear campaigns do not convince me that the purveyors of this nonsense are ready to lead. It just tells me they are ready to host a talk show on Fox News, one that makes Bill O'Reilly seem level-headed, fair, and unbiased.

[Koga No Goshi]

Uh um.... yes. Quite right. You said it.

Just surprised.

If I had made exactly that post, it'd be OH CMON KOGA YOU JUST THINK DEMS ARE SAINTS. What the hell is wrong with you, you're such a partisan. ;)

My impressions, exact.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Weird, in Ohio felons can vote legally as long as they aren't in prison.

[Koga No Goshi]

Weird, in Ohio felons can vote legally as long as they aren't in prison.

It's a state by state decision. It's not Federally mandated that felons can't vote.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Rest assured, once Obama is the president, I won't be pulling any punches criticizing him, should he break a single one of his promises.

I would remind everyone that we could vote for Santa Claus for president and nothing would change. Either Obama or McCain gets elected, and nothing will change. Not unless there is a clear, consistent majority in the House and Senate who agrees on the president's plan of action. Congress has done nothing impressive in the past 10 years, except passed some impressively bad legislation and spent the country into 5 trillion more dollars of debt.

You want to fix the country? The presidential election decides nothing. You need to vote out all the incumbents, yes, all of them, during the congressional election. And you might have to cross party lines in order to do it. The only way to stop the festering cesspool of corruption that is the rancid swamp of the District of Columbia, is to fire the Republicans who betrayed their conservative principles, the Democrats who supported this porkfest and this terrible war, and anyone who has had more than two terms as a Senator or Congressperson; they are all obviously ineffective as legislators and elected officials when attempting to bring about change.

The current Congress is nearly tied along party lines, and the only legislation that gets passed is the kind that has what McCain calls "Christmas tree ornaments" strewn about, sugar and fat and frosting and cocaine laced within, and just a little bit of vote-buying pork projects for both parties to remain in office.

End corruption, vote out all incumbents, institute term limits of 2 terms. Parties are meaningless when they work together to spend more on the economic bailout than they did on the entire Iraq war to date, in one lightning fast motion... see your tax dollars disappear, it's the AMAZING CONGRESSO! Where does your money go, and why is it any business of yours what they do with it?

Vote out all incumbents, and then put your congressperson and senator on speed dial. When the president presents a plan of action you agree with, get on the phone and tell them to vote on it. If they don't, vote them out next election cycle, or let term limits do their thing. If worst comes to worse, run for office yourself.

Destroy both political parties, and rig the system so that there's no money in being a Senator, and it's impossible to hold power for more than a decade. You get in, you fix the system so it works, or you get thrown out. Later, you go home, Mission Actually Accomplished. Make it so that private campaign contributions or fundraising is illegal, and that all candidates get equal airtime, limited publicly funded budgets, and none of them owe their success to businesses or lobbyists or media support.

At this point I'd consider a lottery. Your Social Security Number is pulled, and you have to go serve as a Senator for 6 months. It's your civic duty, now go do it. Anything to destroy party politics and reinstate civilian government of the people, by the people, and for the people. You have to admit, a random cross-section of our society could probably do a better job than these career partisan hacks.

It's a bad idea, one I wouldn't realistically support, but at least it would change the system and get rid of the people we have in office now. That could clean up Washington and get people like you and me in charge. The downside is that people like you and me would be in charge, and you really wouldn't want me in charge. I'd never shut up.

[Marshal Murat]

ATPG - You should be a political pundit.

I've agreed with almost everything you've said.

[Koga No Goshi]

I do too. Well said on both counts Pizza.

[PanzerJaeger]

I know I'm a little late to the "who's supporters are more insane" party, but I thought this was hilarious. The party of tolerance, indeed.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Holy crap, I was reading this and saw there was a second ATPG.

[Koga No Goshi]

I know I'm a little late to the "who's supporters are more insane" party, but I thought this was hilarious. The party of tolerance, indeed.

That actually wasn't the argument, CR kinda morphed it into that. Originally it was whose party acts more like unpatriotic little jerks when it comes to acting unprofessoinally towards someone who doesn't vote the way you think they should. ;)

If I acted like the parking lot guy to any Republican who came through at work, I'd do nothing but be nasty to clients all day.

[PanzerJaeger]

That actually wasn't the argument, CR kinda morphed it into that. Originally it was whose party acts more like unpatriotic little jerks when it comes to acting unprofessoinally towards someone who doesn't vote the way you think they should. ;)

If I acted like the parking lot guy to any Republican who came through at work, I'd do nothing but be nasty to clients all day.

Either way, I think that video tops some dude who chooses to make a living standing around a parking lot all day. I was actually pretty surprised at the animosity. I see people with Obama shirts all day at school, and could care less. . .

[Koga No Goshi]

Either way, I think that video tops some dude who chooses to make a living standing around a parking lot all day. I was actually pretty surprised at the animosity. I see people with Obama shirts all day at school, and could care less. . .

When those people get together and decide to not offer you services because of how you vote, come back and claim it as a counterpoint.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Holy crap, I was reading this and saw there was a second ATPG.

I'm just kidding. That's really me. I've been Alexander the Pretty Good for years, but frankly I thought Askthepizzaguy was just sooooo much cooler.

I recommend the moderators delete my old Alexander the Pretty Good account. Please. It's old and no one likes it anymore.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Kidding! I joke!

[CountArach]

Does anyone know the reliability of the "American Research Group"? They're saying obama has an 8 point lead in West Virginia.

They are notoriously unreliable and their polls should be taken with a grain of salt. Obama +8 in WV doesn't feel right - he performed horribly there in the primaries and I doubt that will change too much.

[Tribesman]

Either way, I think that video tops some dude who chooses to make a living standing around a parking lot all day. I was actually pretty surprised at the animosity.

Why would you be surprised at the animosity ? You have people from a city that was attacked by al-Qaida and supporters of a party that completely screwed up the hunt for Al-Qaida .
On balance I thought the locals reaction was very polite .

[KukriKhan]

institute term limits of 2 terms

If I were in charge, this would be my first order of business. Two terms max for Rep's, Senators, and Prez, staggered (2 three-year terms for Rep's; 2 Six-year terms for Sen's, 2 four-year terms for Prez). An ambitious politician could still cobble together a 26 year career as a Fed poli, but not many, which is a good thing. Everybody else return to your civvy job after "service".

It'd be a hard sell in the house and senate, but I'm confident the states would ratify this constitutional amendment overwhelmingly, and quickly. We tire of gridlock, but can't find another way to build-in some kinda check and balance.

On the money side: unlimited contributions to campaigns (ala 'donations = free speech' doctrine) but limit spending, with all excess money returned to the donors after the election(s). Reported, in detail, to the FEC, and IRS.