Why are polictical campaigns important?

Answer 1

Because they raise money and get the candidate's name out there. They also do damage control when needed.

Answer 2

Great question.

Campaigns are only as important as each particular voter feels they are. If you are truly debating which candidate from your party best suits your vision for the future, than this is the time for you to hear what they have to say. It also gives you a chance to weed out the lies, which every candidate in history has told to pander to voters. You may recall George H.W. Bush's famous "no new taxes" speech, which was proven to be voter pandering within his first month of office. Because of actions like these that have taken place in both parties, it has become nearly impossible to judge the authenticity of any candidate. Had the media and American voters given George H.W. Bush the hardball questions instead of being so soft with him, we would have likely discovered his true agenda before puting him in the Oval Office.

Of course campaigns will never be a good estimate of what is to come. I certainly never expected to hear Bill Clinton announce " I did not have sexual relations with that woman" to the country when he was pandering for votes. I think the best thing to do is to listen to what they say in the primaries, and also in the run-up to the general elections, so that you can use it for or against them four years later.

Answer 3

Hmm, voting is important because everyone has to choose between the lesser of two evils as they see fit, and if you don't then you really have no right to complain about either one.
Campaigns on the other hand are a massive waste of money and there really needs to be a cap on funding as proposed by Ralph Nader whom I dislike in a couple of ways. Nader and Paul are both right about how all that both parties really stand for is big government and the elimination of any third party threat.

Answer 4

Because they raise huge gobs of money for the candidates, raise the profile of the special interest groups and PACs, who in turn raise huge gobs of money, who then give to the candidates who promise them the most.
It's all about the money!

Answer 5

They are the means by which candidates communicate their ideas, their experience, their vision...to the voters.