John Curley


romney980.jpg
Mitt Romney's multi-year run for the White House has at least one political pundit arguing it's time shorten the election cycle a la England. (AP image)

Election overload: Time to go the British way?

BY Josh Kerns  on November 5, 2012 @ 8:20 am (Updated: 9:47 am - 11/5/12 )

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"Enough already!" It's the rally cry of voters across the country who've been pummeled by a presidential race 18 months in the making. And many are saying it's time for a change.

"I have never, up until the past few weeks, heard so many people say 'Why can't we do it like England...they announce an election and six weeks later they vote," former Reagan speechwriter, author and noted political columnist Peggy Noonan said on CBS' Face the Nation.

Obviously, we're not about to go to that extreme. But should the cycle be shortened? That was the debate Monday on Seattle's Morning News.

"We're Americans, we're not Brits. I like the process because the candidates are battle tested," says co-host Tom Tangney. "I know there's a world weariness on the part of the voters, but I think in terms of the candidates, we get better candidates. And also having a longer campaign allows for not just the top dogs to run. Otherwise, we just have to go with the people we already know about."

That brought us the likes of Herman Cain and Rick Perry, long forgotten former front runners in the early days of the primary campaign. But it also brought a nearly two year onslaught of electioneering and advertising that's now totaled an estimated $2 billion to get Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to the finish line. Host John Curley argues the more they need, the more they have to sell their souls to the highest bidders.

"So the amount of money that needs to churn through this system to get your message out and the amount of money that is then put on the horse in the race I think has an effect upon the legislation that comes out of that horse that was in that race," Curley says.

But Tangney argues while the British model might be shorter and less expensive, it's naive to think money isn't a major factor in the U.K.

"It comes in shorter and faster. It's equally as corrupt."

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Josh Kerns, MyNorthwest.com Reporter
Josh Kerns is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle Sounds (Saturday nights 7-8) and a digital content producer for MyNorthwest.com.
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Comments (7)


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  • Forrest wrote...
    One six year term
    November 5, 2012 9:21 am
    So the elected work to benefit the nation rather than worry about being re-elected.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    @Forrest
    November 6, 2012 1:50 pm
    That's a great idea!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    I rather like the other Parliamentry idea
    November 7, 2012 5:40 am
    Whenever confidence in the government gets too low, we get a new election THEN. With a six week campaign.

    Any executive no longer worrying about the people is dangerous.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Pete in Seattle wrote...
    Read the Federalist Papers
    November 12, 2012 12:52 pm
    The idea of parliament was rejected for two major reasons. First was the separation of the branches of government. It is supposed to be checks and balances even though lately it has been more checks and stalemate. Secondly, the Electoral College was invented to provide for outside election, theoretically to prevent cronyism. While some men aspired to office the so-called ideal politician was the reluctant public servant who would hold office and then go back to his farm or business. i.e he was to be a citizen first and office holder second.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Too Bad
    November 6, 2012 1:55 pm
    We cant put a advertisng spending cap on the canidates. Each gets $50 million and thats it. Oh, and the lying thing should be removed as well....NO LYING would make things more interesting..LOL!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cdbtx wrote...
    $6 Billion spent in America
    November 7, 2012 6:29 am
    on elections this year... We have Presidents that now spend 2 years in office and 2 years campaigning..
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Pete in Seattle wrote...
    Maybe the problem is the parties....
    November 12, 2012 12:46 pm
    We have a long primary process and then a political convention. Even if we went to a Parliamentary style election it would not prevent someone from announcing candidacy immediately after the previous election. We have laws protecting political speech even as we have laws prohibiting libel and slander. Those same laws allow signs even where billboards are banned. And we have laws guaranteeing access to the presidential ballot for the parties, provided they get at least some miniscule percent of the vote in the previous election. But the conventions that supposedly nomincate candidates have become a farce. Instead of honest debate they are extended pep rallies. Led by the press the public expects to know the outcome long before the actual meeting. Then the party leaders hammer out a platform without really consulting the candidate they just nominated. Thus we get Romney trying to be moderate while his party is pulling even further to the right and no one believes either of them. The only reason they got the House was because the representative brought home some bacon to his district and got reelected in spite of his lack of concern for the country as a whole.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }