Get Herald RSSThe current job market may be the most anemic in recent memory, but there's one sector of the economy that hasn't felt the pinch of the recent crisis.
Seniors, I suggest you look for jobs in the campaigning industry.
Barack Obama has raised over $600 million since the beginning of his presidential bid, and a quarter of that sum was raised last month. Meanwhile, spending upward of $150,000 on Gov. Sarah Palin's wardrobe, hair and makeup has been the subject of headlines all week.
Looking at those fundraising figures, my first reaction was disgust. In addition to the distorting effects that campaign donations have on our democratic process, private jets and pricey clothes represent an extravagance that I find distasteful given the current epidemic of rising unemployment and home foreclosures. Think of all the years of college tuition those millions could buy.
It would be nice if John McCain and Obama could use their funds to help undecided swing state voters pay their bills, but I think that might be illegal. Is there a more ethical alternative when the sad reality of our system is that money equals votes?
Reducing overall campaign spending through public financing of elections would be a good start. As a Democrat, however, I am glad that Obama decided to forgo public financing since his ability to raise huge amounts of money has given him a measurable advantage over McCain.
I feel a little guilty for allowing my Obama-at-any-cost attitude to overpower my belief that reducing the influence of money in politics is an essential first step for improving the way democracy works in this country.
The silver lining in all of this is that the people who work for campaigns and in campaign-related industries are doing fabulously despite the stormy weather. For a few lucky event planners and public relations firms, this election has been better than Christmas. News networks, pollsters, pundits and comedians have also cashed in on the presidential hysteria. I bet the printing companies making the official campaign signs, T-shirts and bumper stickers are having a great time, too.
The good news doesn't end there. The children of the elite political analysts who craft all those nasty attack ads are going to get some nice presents come December, which bodes well for the retail sector.
The Neiman Marcus sales associate who earned a commission when the Republican National Committee purchased all of Sarah Palin's fancy suits and shoes probably treated herself to a pricey celebratory dinner, and hopefully she's a generous tipper. Thus, the hundreds of millions of dollars in donations spent during the campaign will eventually trickle back down to ordinary Americans.
Using this logic, I've eased my guilty conscience by seeing the massive amounts of campaign spending not as a symbol of our broken electoral system but as a nice boost to consumption spending in an otherwise gloomy economy.
If only McCain were able to match Obama dollar for dollar, then we'd really be able to get back on track.
Maybe instead of trying to impose spending limits, we could make spending minimums instead. After all, any candidate who injects less than $500 million into the American economy probably isn't very pro-America.
But what happens when the election is over?
If NBC is lucky and McCain gets elected, then the network will be able stand on the shoulders of Tina Fey's Palin impressions for the next four to sixteen years.
As for the rest of the folks who make money off elections, it's fortunate that the campaign season seems to be getting longer and longer. The next round of presidential elections may be well under way by 2010.
The timing is perfect for graduating seniors looking for careers in punditry.
Rachel Forman '09 thinks K-Street is the new Wall Street.
