Who else thinks we need to shorten up these presidential campaign election cycles in the future?

[NNN0LHI]

This nearly two years of presidential campaigning is bullshit. I mean if they can't say in six months or so what they need to say I don't think I want to hear it. I love listening to Obama and I am even starting to get tired of listening to him. Sheesh. Enough is enough.

There is no reason why we can't shorten these things up in the future if we used a little common sense.

Don

[thunder rising]

1. There is just no way to put this elegantly ... so, get a clue

[Kilroy003]

2. Usually we have an incumbent.

Either the sitting President or a VP successor. 2008 is different due to VP Cheney and his bad ticker/reputation/demaenor/mojo/etc.

[NeedleCast]

3. I wish they would

Two year long presidential campaigns are horrible. Media loves it though, so it's not likely to change.

[dkofos]

4. Great idea but you'll never get the M$M to go along with it.

They make to much money on elections to ever consider
shortening the cycle.

[nosillies]

5. Good for business, bad for the nation's collective sanity n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. They need to be shorter, and far, FAR LESS EXPENSIVE

PERIOD

[SoCalNative]

7. The UK manages to get it done in 3 months

I think we should follow their model

[Democat]

8. The campaigns will probably get longer, not shorter!

Each side wants to get a head start on the other!

[jobycom]

9. Campaigning is always happening. It's just a question of how long you choose to pay attention.

Many people didn't start following this campaign until six to eight months ago. Some not until the conventions. On the other hand, some people have been watching this election since 2000, at least.

Shorter campaigns favor the incumbents and the better-known candidate. Shorten this thing to a year, and Obama would be a footnote. It might be Edwards versus Giuliani, with the Edwards's love child scandal just breaking. Long campaigns let people see all the choices and hear all the ideas until they are tired of it and the newness wears off, and they can make more rational decisions on them.

Besides, how do you shorten it? You can't stop candidates from campaigning behind the scenes, organizing fundraising, orchestrating votes and public appearances and press releases to position themselves for a run. If you stopped the public components somehow, everything would still be happening behind the scenes and we'd have less time to uncover these backroom connections and deals.

Longer is better. I want to know who is running for 2016, and I want them vetted starting now. Anyone without the stomach for a long campaign, check back in on March 1, 2016, or so, and pretend it all started there.