Purchasing the American Presidency

JEB BUSH, who may or may not run for president - we still don't know because he still hasn't formally announced his candidacy with press conference, parade, or champagne brunch - but almost certainly will - tells us that he fully intends to comply with the law if and when he begins raising money for his maybe campaign, which he has already been doing, long since. That sounds good. A Bush, complying with the law. Very refreshing, very encouraging. Complying with federal election law is extremely easy these days, because almost anything is allowed. You can raise as much money as you want, as long as you pretend that the money has absolutely nothing to do with your election campaign. Or rather, as long as you pretend that it has nothing directly to do with the person running for office. Yes, we are here to purchase advertising for Jeb Bush, but we have nothing to do with him, we hardly even know the man. We intend to spend a billion dollars on ads for a person we swear we never speak to. Political Action Committees are a wonder of nature. Collect a few billion dollars, spend it on buying the American presidency, and just be sure that there is no direct connection between candidate and PAC. So long as the money is spent properly - for advertising - there doesn't really even need to be any intercourse between candidate and PAC, so, it all works out well for the wealthy; political offices can be purchased with impunity. Hillary clinton, meanwhile, proclaims her intention of raising two and a half billion dollars .Of the dozens of republicans running for president, each has at least one billionaire in the background, lurking, checkbook in hand, but the billionaires themselves have nothing to do with the candidates they are supporting. If the United states ever becomes a democracy, which seems very unlikely, elections may be determined by somebody other than billionaires, which seems even more unlikely. Crazy thing is, the solution to this massive national corruption may be found in nine little words: "the sale and purchase of political advertising is prohibited." Solutions to problems are sometimes too easy, and too obvious to be considered.