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OU Prof: Longer Election Season A Good Thing
< < Back to ou-prof-longer-election-season-good-thingElection season is now over, and experts are reflecting on the successes and the shortcomings of this year's campaigns.
Ohio University Professor of Contemporary History Kevin Mattson says he believes the length of the 2012 election season was one of its strengths.
“I think that the longer the better, and I know that's not necessarily a popular idea. A campaign and election should be a deliberative process, a chance for civic education, for citizens to become informed about the candidates and about the issues that they face,” said Mattson.
Mattson also believes one of the most distinguishing factors of this year's campaigns was the money involved.
“The real problem is that we have never found a way to drive money out of politics successfully, it always finds its way back in. So the challenge is how do you keep money out of politics and also keep the process deliberative, democratic, and fair,” said Mattson.
Mattson is the author of "Just Plain Dick", a book about Richard Nixon and the 1952 presidential election. It was released in October of this year.