28th Amendment: Public Campaign Financing

[jocapo]

Why not? It's my understanding that the big stumbling block for passing meaningful campaign financing reform is that it's unconstitutional. Isn't this important enough to make it constitutional?

[Selatius]

1. Monied interests will lobby to have the amendment blocked.

If such an amendment were allowed to pass, then candidates representing relatively poor constituencies would have a fair shot just as well as any candidate representing wealthier constituencies. That would mean the wealthy giving up some amount of power if it passes.

If you must learn anything, it is that people who hold power never give it up if they are given the option. It must be taken. It is true of any civilization past or present.

[jocapo]

2. Of course they will

but what's new. We would have to fight for this change but I think it would be worth the fight. I also think it's the right way to approach this issue: it goes to the very core of our democracy. The timing might be right because it fits with the change theme that is generally accepted as the wind under Obama's wings for this presidential campaign.