Presidential elections in the USA

This is the first time I've been in the United States throughout an election campaign. It's been fascinating to watch as a Brit, because the process is so different than the British system. So different.

In the UK, for example, an election is called, and campaigning starts around 30 days before the date of the vote. Obviously politicians are always trying to make sure their voters know who they are, what they are doing, and what the other parties are doing wrong, but there is no noticeable campaign until that 30-day period.

Candidate selection is also done inside the party. The Primary process, which sounds very democratic on the face of it, forces the candidates to raise vast sums of money in order to appeal to a wide range of the populace in many states, before they are even selected to stand for election. This rules out 'normal' people running. The only ones who can run are those who are rich, or backed by rich people or companies.

The money-requirement is also true in the UK, but as a party candidate, once selected by a local party Association, you are at least able to lean on the local party for funding for leaflets and for free helpers to plod around the streets ringing on door bells, and dropping leaflets off. Each candidate for the UK parliament, even gets free postage of one leaflet during the campaign.

There have been multiple, televised debates during the Primary campaign during 2019, all of which required fund-raising targets, polling percentage achievements and a particular number of donations. This money is money that has to come from somewhere, and the DNC does not seem to realize, or care, that these requirements - while necessary to winnow the field - could cause the best candidate to fail, and ensure that the candidates are either independently wealthy, or subject to the whims of wealthy donors.

There is a good argument, from the DNC's perspective, to maintain the Primary system, though: With a Primary that allows Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama to be in the same party, there is no room on the left or right for another party to split the vote. If we were designing the US political system from scratch, we would have many, many more political parties, to ensure that the more niche views are represented. A Trump party, for example, might do less well than a Bush Sr. party, but both never fight an election, at the same time, with all the voters.

To shorten the election cycle, and to make the result more appropriate, the following changes are needed:

• Remove all primary processes. Each party - party members only - should choose their candidate. This would allow more parties to exist, which would allow representation of more of the electorate's views.
• Shorten the election cycle by cancelling all debates before 30 days before the election.
• Move all advertising by and for candidates, to be the party's responsibility. The party could then do the fund raising, while the candidates explain their policy positions.
• Dispose of the Electoral College and have run-off elections. This means that if none of the candidates gets more than 50% of the votes (which is more likely in a multi-party nation), then another, quick election is held with only the top two candidates in the running.