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When you hear someone say, “It’s that time of year” in early October, you might assume they are referring to the upcoming holidays or colder weather. You would be wrong; they’re probably just talking about election season. People have become desensitized to aggressive political campaigns that consume almost three months of the year, but should that really be so normalized?
The short answer: no. American political campaigns are not only intrusive on daily life, but also dangerous to the state of democracy as a whole. These campaigns often employ the technique of candidates mudslinging to make themselves more appealing by comparison. However, these campaigns often spread misinformation, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find unbiased sources to fact check. Angry people are often blinded by rage, causing them to look for someone to blame. While the rhetoric that villainizes the other side is very effective for candidates to elicit votes, it is largely responsible for social divides between the political parties.
It is common knowledge that political campaigns also are unbelievably expensive, but the exact numbers are not so common. Estimates place the cost of the 2020 election cycle at around $14.5 billion. This number is incomprehensibly large. In America, more than 550,000 people are homeless, and approximately 42 million live at or below the poverty line. I can’t help but wonder if maybe this money could be better spent by candidates solving actual issues, rather than pointing fingers.
Keegan Day
Milford
