Now that election day is here in the U.S. I want to say some things that have been troubling me for a while. Note that these are all most pronounced in U.S. (federal?) politics, but it's also true that whatever is practised there makes its way here (to Canada) fairly quickly.

If it isn't explicitly unlawful, then it's legal
To me this is the "MBA way of doing politics". In business MBA training is to stretch the law to the limit, sold as the concept of "thinking outside the box".
It amazes me that politicians are now using this tactic more and more and that few seem bothered by the fact. Do we really want our politicians operating like shady business characters?

Spending money on campaigns is a "freedom of speech" issue
While it does seem an odd twist of interpretation to me (along the lines of the amendment that gave corporations the same status in law as 'persons'), isn't there a case to be made that some restrictions should legally apply, as in the case of shouting "FIRE" in a crowded place?
After all, this affords certain people - those with the $$$ - far more "freedom" than those who have little money. Do we really believe that it is mainly the rich who should be elected as our representatives? Since it is acknowledged that 'money is the mother's milk of politics' it seems to me that those without milk have only very specific circumstances/situations where a collection of important issues can override the impact of money in any campaign.
99% of the time, those with the bigger "marketing" budgets win in the market. Is that really the way our repesentatives should be elected too?

"Data mining" for political advantage is perfectly acceptable
Both political "machines" spend millions of dollars purchasing lists from various corporations that detail purchases made, subscriptions paid, travel undertaken, family makeup, credit scores and just about anything else trackable in order to process it to make demographic profiles of individuals so that they can better "target" people with "information" that they deem is likely more meaningful to them.
While I have some problem with even (private) corporations doing this, I have a real problem with our political representatives' 'agents' doing this sort of thing. It usually means 'telling them what they want to hear' but in a devious way (usually cleared by lawyers) that likely hides the real truth. At the very least it is material usually geared to divert attention.
Is it right that our political representatives operate in this manner, just like corporations do? Why should we tolerate this kind of behaviour, and the spending of the big bucks implied by doing it - in our politicians? Shouldn't they have to rely on being out-and-about in their districts to learn what the hot-button issues are and shouldn't they be talking directly about those issues with the people rather than sending/phoning/advertising carefully crafted designed-deceptive literature to sway a voter? Do we really want our politicians to treat us exactly the same way that corporations do?

Phoney apologies are too easy
How many times do you hear some candidate "apologizing" for some action by campaign staff or loosely-related organization that does a mis-step on the basis that "as soon as I found out about it I put a stop to it". The operating mantra is "just do it, and if there is objection we will apologize", but of course the initial intention is accomplished and the desired effect achieved by the time an apology is offerred. Shouldn't there be some meaningful accountability in these manoeuvres, like having the candidate have to shut down all operations for a time period or forcing them to spend money countering the impact of the problem item?

Elected persons spend more than half their incumbency RAISING MONEY
Did you really elect people so that they spend more time securing their re-election funds than working for you? Spending money to learn all about you without your even knowing it (see above)? Taking "donations" from lobbyists who have interests counter to your own?
Shouldn't they work at securing their re-election by DOING THINGS THEIR VOTERS NEED rather than cozying up to the monied and using that money to snow you with gross embellishments or falshoods disguised as facts?

I'd say that the electoral process is seriously flawed - BROKEN!!!!

One person's view. Yours?