Do you think today's campaign process is set up to let you treat political candidates with the scrutiny they require? We’re willing to bet you’ve wondered how some politicians managed to make it into elected office. Vote Smart materialized out of the idea that, in essence, political candidates are applicants for job openings, and that we should treat the campaign process as a job interview.
Vote Smart has begun to do just that. When you and I apply for a job, our future employers insist that we provide a number of professional references. What if, as voters, we insisted on a full disclosure of a candidate’s sources of funding and endorsements? When you and I apply for a job, we are expected to be open and honest about our performance in past jobs. What if, as voters, we expected a candidate to transparently lay out their voting records?
Changing our national perception of campaigns and candidates starts with this. Returning our democracy back to its citizens starts with this. Vote Smart is doing the work year-round with a team of hardworking, independent-minded researchers who need your help to keep going.
Please have our backs at votesmart.org.
Warmly,
Emilyn Crabbe
Vote Smart Director of Communications In Training