RJ Daley,
How does a candidate put himself on a level playing field when the other candidate is the media's "darling" ?
Read "The Last Hurrah" by Edwin O'Connor or rent or buy the movie version (1958). I think you'll enjoy them both.
The methods used to garner votes have changed, and the media has become a powerful force, one that can predispose the electorate and even determine the outcome of a race.
If the media favors one candidate how can the other candidate offset that influence without the infuson of considerable sums of money ?
I happen to like extremely wealthy candidates because they DON"T need the money and tend to run for and manage their office on their philosophical beliefs.
I was never concerned that the Rockefeller's, Kennedy's,
Brown, Bloomberg and Corzine were seeking public office to line their pockets and I respected them all for that.
However, that doesn't mean that I agree with all of their philosophies. It just means that I have a comfort zone in that they're not the primary beneficiaries of their efforts in office.
Everyone forgets that Ross Perot warned about the influence of lobbyists years ago.
Seeing as how a small number of people are making vital decisions that affect all of our lives, perhaps, like teachers, we should pay them more, say, $ 2-5,000,000 per year, and then couple increased pay with term limitations.