Speaking via the television during the current election season, convincing voters that the opponent is a liar and unworthy to hold office has replaced the day of handshakes and kissing babies. Campaign strategies for political office have drastically changed over the years. Today’s campaign trail is paved with mudslinging, name calling, cross country speeches and national conventions.

In the time of our founding fathers, campaigning was almost nonexistent. It was deemed greedy to seek office instead of letting the office seek you. However, campaigning was later required to win. The difference between now and then is that candidates used to put in an actual effort. The basic concept of campaigning was to get out there and present an opportunity for the American people to get to know the candidate in a way that would sway their votes. The concept forced candidates to prove they wanted the presidency and cared about the people. But now, when we look at campaigning, we see candidates giving speeches written by others and assigning thousands of people to do promotional work for them. It has degraded into a commercialized event rather than a productive tool for Americans to utilize when casting their votes.

No matter how much work one person wants to put in, money is all that counts today. Without money the chance of winning votes falls close to zero, whereas 50 years ago it was the effort that really counted. For example President Roosevelt gave over 20 speeches across the country to crowds of Americans in just one day. But when we look at President Obama and Governor Romney, they only give a handful of speeches over the course of their campaigns yet still manage to spend millions of dollars.

The opportunity to get to know candidates today is slim to none; only the elite get a real chance to speak with them. There are no railroad stops in the heart of America and few strolls down Main Street. When we look at past presidents like Reagan, we see he spoke to common Americans without any payment requirements. Now, in order to sit down with the candidates, people must be willing to empty their bank accounts. The average American today must depend on commercials, debates and media to educate themselves about their vote.

In order to make campaigns truly beneficial and execute their intended purpose we, the American people, need to get back to our roots. We must call on candidates to put forth more effort, stop commercializing and further uphold the principles of our founding fathers.