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Oh, sweet Jesus! Is this person going to be subject to the same kind of constrictive contract that we're finding the other "Idol"s are? And if so, would that prevent them from being able to take the oath of office? This is just a bad idea all the way around. Bread and effing circuses!

Jeff Jarvis has thrown his hat into the ring. Personally, I find the "American Candidate" concept to be the the ultimate culmination of politics and entertainment. Politics, especially campaign politics, is entertainment and marketing. Take two candidates that look good for the cameras, hire a team of writers to give them their lines and a team of handlers to manage their Image. Spend a few months hawking the product and see which one the people prefer.

...things like this make me awfully glad that we don't have TV.

This seems like a good beginning for 'The Running Man'. If it really took off, networks would control PR and public access for candidates. Wouldn't the next step naturally be media pork? Of course that's nuts. We're a civilized society filled with conscientious, intelligent and thoughtful citizens. Look at the sterling example set by the producer, Tom Lassally whom I hope self googles himself the realization that people feel producers like Lassally view America as a retarded teenage woman who is easily plundered. Here is Lassally‘s dream scenario, they find a new Jessie Ventura, only this one is not quite so controversial and fits well into the medias pocket. The presidency was always out of the picture but some Senator in some controversial race is a possibility. Even if they don’t win the ratings are really doing well. The nations hipsters form a coalition with the soap opera addicts and with the help of the disenfranchised he or she is in. Next season another show emerges, now they’re competing to put a governor in office. Somewhere along the line, after repeating it over and over again preening politicians on primetime begins to make sense. The idea of public punishment of criminals begins as a debate by a promising new group seven seasons down the road. Who needs Richard Dawson, Lassally surely has all the necessary attributes to play Richard’s part. Of course it couldn’t happen, but the whole concept is septic tank TV. Stuff the viewers full of crap and send them down the pipes of social degeneration. It is so American PhotoDude, but hail the liberty that makes it possible.

And people wonder why the rest of the world mocks America. feh.

I think they should combine every show like this that has ever been on FOX and just make one big extravaganza: "Who wants to marry a singing millionare president who can eat like a glutton, box celebrities and crawl through a pit of snakes?" Just get the whole sordid deal over in one night.

You don't have to watch, you know. I have avoided many a cultural mea culpa by not watching some trash tv show.

Andrea, I don't watch any of the "Reality TV" stuff (other than the Osbournes). But my point on this one is that it could affect more than just some lady who wants to marry a millionaire. They are talking about using the electoral system to gain rating shares. They will coat it in "Democracy," "American Dream," etc.... ....but it's all about $$$. I think it's a bad bad idea to entrust this kind of thing to TV producers.

The election process already is sham TV. Has been since JFK vs. Nixon. Why is this any different then the media ramming Bush v. Gore or Bush v. Gore II down everyone's throat?

Your argument seems to be one of the "slippery slope" variety. If you're halfway down, why not go all the way. I don't buy into that, myself, except in a sarcastic moment back during InDecision 2000: --o-- Call it Wired Candidate, or Politician in a Box. At the moment they leave their nominating convention, each candidate is placed in a Big Brother-like (the TV show) setting, except they are alone. The main room is wired with mikes and cameras, and has a broadband Internet connection. I guess we should give them a bedroom for privacy, but I'm not sure about that yet. The candidate has to spend all their waking hours interacting with the media via the cameras and mikes, and the public via the Internet. No filters. No handlers. An hour a day with family, but otherwise, no outside contact. They can order everything they need off the Internet, and have it delivered. If they can't accomplish that simple task, that will also be instructive, and we'll get to watch them starve while wearing dirty clothes on our choice of 28 camera feeds. I like it. My guess is, if the current crop of candidates had been placed in that environment, by now: ---Buchanan and Nader would be getting most of the actual viewers attention, not for political reasons, but because it was so much fun to watch two nuts from such opposite ends of the spectrum. Theses would be written on the subject. ---Bush would have cracked from the stress and isolation, and his inability to find those children trapped in the dark dungeons of the Internet, but would refuse to come out, as he'd covered all the camera lenses with toothpaste and just wanted to be left alone with the sports section of the Fort Worth paper. ---Gore would be crankin' like a geek in geek heaven, causing additional bandwidth to have to be added to his Box due to the massive uploads of Wonk. Upon winning the election, like George W., he would refuse to come out, claiming he was now One with his Creation. It would be a lot more informative, a lot more entertaining, and certainly, a lot cheaper. --0-- ....and compared to the concept of "American Candidate," it would likely serve the country much better as well.