An interesting, if slightly misguided article today, submitted by Dr. Charles Krauthammer [1].
In Britain, Canada and other civilized places, national elections are often called, run and concluded within six weeks. In America, election campaigns go on forever. It used to be one year, now it’s two. No one planned this, but like other evolutionary artifacts (the Founders applied intelligent design to the general makeup of the U.S. government but never foresaw formal political parties, let alone the endless campaign), this crazy improvisation embodies a certain wisdom.
First, it tests a certain kind of competence. Managing a national campaign in a country of continental dimensions requires exceptional organizational skills. A fairly narrow competence, to be sure, but of major importance in a country where the president must run the behemoth that is the federal government.
Several objections, right off; in Britain Canada and other civilized places, he is quite correct that elections are concluded within six weeks from the time they are called. However , that set up also leads to a great deal more political posturing and a great deal more in the way of governmental largess to buy votes with, at the next opportunity, whatever that might be. In effect, instead of a relatively concentrated among time wherein people are running for election to a specific office, politicians are posturing all the time. I’m not sure this can be considered a good thing.
It’s true enough, that the US Democrats have been doing this for some time now. So perhaps the line isn’t as undefined as either of us make it. Still, I have objections to calling the systems of Britain and Canada a respite from the nonsense that Krauthammer decries here.
As for the wisdom he invokes as regards revealing a certain level of competency, I submit to examples to the contrary; Jimmy Carter, and Bubba Clinton.
As such, I wonder about his comments about the “gratuitous humiliation of our would be Kings ” . The humiliation offered such, is certainly not in keeping with their lack of service to the country.