Paul Sassone

“Our Father who art in heaven …”

The first six words of the Lord’s Prayer, right?They also are the first six words of a political TV commercial for Kim Foxx, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Cook County state’s attorney.

It’s not unusual for a political candidate to cloak his or her candidacy in religious garb. Though usually it is Republicans who try to prove they are the most religious of them all.

Using religion for political advertisement is offensive no matter the candidate or party.

But we should be used to being offended by political ads. In fact the whole business of political advertising is offensive and drains the lifeblood of democracy.
It is estimated that TV political ad spending will top $4.4 billion this year, up from $3.8 billion for the 2012 elections.
The amount of money candidates must spend to become elected is truly staggering.

Candidates for president must file a report with the Federal Election Commission on money they have raised. Here are the mind-boggling amounts as of Jan. 1:

• Hillary Clinton — $163.5 million.
• Jeb Bush — $155.6 million.
• Ted Cruz — $89.9 million.
• Marco Rubio — $77.2 million.
• Bernie Sanders — $75.1 million.
• Ben Carson — $64.2 million.
• John Kasich — $22.9 million.
• Donald Trump — $21.2 million.

I left out the millions spent — wasted — by candidates who have dropped out.

And what does the country get for all this money? Two candidates for president.

Does this end justify these means?

What good could be accomplished with these millions?

We don’t have to look far for answers.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 45 million Americans — 14.5 percent of all Americans — live in poverty.

Those millions would go a long way to alleviating the poverty of the very Americans political candidates claim they want to help.

But, instead of that money going to the poor, the infirm, the ill, the homeless, it is going to TV stations and ad agencies.

What a waste.

So, I say, stop campaigning right now.

All the candidates are going to do with their donated millions is tell you what you already know.

And what you don’t know you can learn by reading newspapers, magazines, even watching TV news. Or look at the Internet.

And all that donated money?

Give it to the poor.

Then — maybe — candidates would have earned the right to bring religion into elections.

–Campaign money could be better spent–