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The shame of the American system for determining who will become the next President of the United States is the 'Who." There is nothing distinguishing a person who runs for President from that of any person of the general population. The average height 5'10" and average weight 180 for prior Presidents is well in line with any American you would see on the streets of any city. The requirement of Article II, Section I of the constitution simply states; "No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States." The constitution does not mandate a candidate must be famous, a Congressman, Senator, Governor, a rich man, or supported by a powerful union or lobby. It is very specific and until the invention of the radio and television, men who were poor, were war heroes, men who were successful in business and industry all ran and became President. Today, who may run or even be a contender to run is determined by the amount of money they may be capable of amassing. In 2008, the costs to run a campaign for president averaged over 350,000,000 and in 2012, for the first time, could reach 1 billion dollars. Money dictates the" who" in American politics. The more money raised, the higher the chance of the candidate's success. The media: newspapers, radio, and television, control what the American public sees and hears. The cost of control is why so much money must be raised. Advertising, debate, interviews, and infomercials cost candidates hundreds of millions; the more they spend, the more the media supports them, and the more money the media adds to its bottom line. The more money that can be raised, provides more money that can be spent, equaling a higher visibility of the candidate, and the greater the chance for being elected. The days of the average American rising from the ashes to reach the highest office in the land are apparently doomed to reside in the past. The media will continue to decide and endorse their favorite candidate. In so doing, they will continue to create bias and their papers and broadcasts will be designed to convince the American public who and what is best for them. It will be the media accepting the hundreds of millions of dollars who will rain praise upon those candidates who contribute the most regardless of their experience or qualifications. The American public will decide between the anointed two chosen by their political party who may, or realistically, are the least qualified to run this great country. Many qualified American's who live their lives in obscurity, may be the best, but will never get the chance to become a candidate for the highest office in the land... because, money rules, and those who have it will decide the course of the nation and keep the best qualified leaders of America in obscurity. America's two party system, state primary's, media bias, wealth and greed, and a citizenry that believes what they are told by the media is truth rather than investigate to decide for themselves what is best, all insure the continuation of a system that prevents you and me from ever attaining the status of "who" will be the President of the United States. No matter what you write, someone will love it. I am Mac McGovern. I write articles, poetry, and blogs for many internet websites. My poetry may be found at: http://allpoetry.com/mac_mcgovern, and my articles at: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mac_McGovern#more-information. You may follow me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/themacmcgovern.
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america, politics, the presidency, atticle II section I,
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