Brian, I think this is the best column of yours that I’ve ever read. I have been saying this same thing for years. It’s like everything else in America, bloated and bombastic beyond all recognition in the pursuit of $$$. Shorten the election season and you reduce the need for campaign $$$. Politicians don’t have to spend all their time raising $$$, leaving them more time for, y’know, governing. That reduces the malign influence of $$$ on our whole political process.

Look at the way other countries do it: they call an election, spend a few weeks debating the issues, hold the vote, and bang, that’s it. The new government takes office the next day. No year-long primary season, no months-long campaign, no pointless 11–week “transition” period after the election. No wonder people tune out.