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10/11/11 (AEIN) With over a year until the next U.S. presidential election, many candidates have already campaigned for weeks or longer. Some continue to hold public office, such as Governor Perry, Representative Bachmann and President Obama. Although elected officials typically receive a fixed salary and theoretically work for the public, candidates spend many hours conducting their campaigns.
President Obama recently made campaign stops in Colorado, Florida and Missouri. He plans to attend another event this evening, according to The White House. Governor Perry visited Florida, New Hampshire and Iowa in recent days. He traveled to meet Donald Trump in September, as did other Republican candidates. Similarly, Congresswoman Bachmann went to North Carolina in late September before traveling to Iowa and New Hampshire more recently. Many of these campaign events occurred in the morning or afternoon, often on weekdays.
Lengthy presidential campaigns do not only distract elected officials from their work. They also raise the cost of a successful election bid. This limits the field of potential candidates and boosts the influence of wealthy contributors. Meanwhile, media attention is diverted from important issues and events to focus upon the merits of different candidates' rhetoric, TV advertisements and gaffes.