The U.S. presidential election is still nearly a year away, but campaigns are in full swing. They have been for months. Yet this time next year, close to half of eligible voters won’t vote.
One reason may be that the campaign “season” is too long. Some voters burn out of the relentless months of debates, media coverage, advertisements, direct mail, Internet sites/blogs/podcasts/wikis and general information assault from all corners. By voting day, people are worn out. Even the word “campaign” conjures up the idea of a prolonged segment of war: a tiring, bloody, when-will-it-end campaign. People go numb, and the act of voting isn’t particularly climatic.
Granted, candidates need time to raise money and get their teams in order. Many issues such as health care and foreign policy are complex and require time to discuss. But much of the first six months of campaigning appears to be posturing, with many candidates more concerned about not screwing up than engaging in serious discussion.
Is there a better way?
Some countries have a much shorter campaign cycles – and much higher voter turnout. I wonder if there is a lesson to be learned there…..
Posted by robertpeek 
