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Candidates on Public Financing of Elections

Posted by PAUL SILVER in At TMV.
Feb 23rd, 2008 | Comments

Here is a summary of the relative positions of the leading Presidential Candidates and Public Financing of Elections

We are realistic about promises and charges made in the midst of a campaign. We know all the candidates have made and will continue to make the pragmatic choices that best fit their strategy for winning the presidency.

I wish I could tell if McCain is still likely to be the Champion of fair elections he has been in the past. It doesn’t look good right now. Obama seems like such reform is the essence of his purpose for running, as was Edwards’. I don’t have much reason to believe that Hillary would do much to thwart the access of special interests.

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StockBoySF

A few days ago I made a comment that sometimes candidates had to use the system in order to eventually change it. The discussion was about McCain and whether he should accept public financing for the general election, after suggesting that he would.

So i defended him concerning the general election because he had yet made no firm commitment to accept public financing.

However in the primary when McCain was running low on funds (and support) last year he did sign up and agree to strict spending limits. He was also able to bypass the expenses of getting his name on the ballots in several states including Ohio.

Now McCain wants to withdraw from the public financing for the primary because he can raise a lot more money.

I think McCain should not be allowed to withdraw from public financing (for the primary) because he has gained material benefit from being in it. Even though it may no longer serve his purposes, he could not have lasted this long unless he was in it. It was a decision he made and he knew the real and potential pitfalls (he is considered a reformer on this very topic). It's too bad he made a bad decision (and as I mentioned he wouldn't even be here if he hadn't made it anyway). Anyway this is a real scandal and McCain should not get away with it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar...

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