Sheryl Crow Has A Solution To Our Election Fatigue…Shorten The Election Cycle

Singer Sheryl Crow has started a petition to shorten the election cycle. Crow’s contention in appealing to the RNC and DNC is that many Americans are suffering physically and emotionally from the constant hate-filled rhetoric of the current election and Sheryl, like the nearly 50,000 people who have signed her petition, would like to avoid a similar “slugfest” in 2020.

“I think people are really tired of it,” Crow said of the election in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal. And Sheryl may be right.

According to the Pew Research Center, many Americans admitted to feeling what is described as “election fatigue” during their research study conducted from June 7 to July 5. The study indicated that about six out of 10 Americans stated that they felt exhausted by the amount of election coverage, especially knowing that there were several months to go until the election was over.

A newer study by Pew also showed the effect that social media is having on voter stamina and it isn’t favorable. Of those who responded to the study conducted in mid-August, 37 percent said they felt “worn out” by the number of political posts and discussions they see. Fifty-nine percent of those who engage in political discussions via social media found it to be “stressful and frustrating.” Let’s face it. We all have seen online friendships suffer in the wake of the current election. Is this Sheryl Crow’s way of trying to save us from ourselves?

Actually, according to Yahoo, Sheryl Crow’s realization of election fatigue is more of a personal experience. Sheryl described visiting her mother whom she calls “a true news junkie” in the hospital and Crow noted an increase in her mother’s blood pressure when it came down to the election. Sheryl also noted that despite considering herself well informed and having been politically active in the past, in this current election, Crow finds herself stepping away as well as trying to keep her young sons from the constant bombardment of the news coverage.

“People and opinions were becoming more vitriolic, and I wanted to sit back and be quiet, really on behalf of my kids, and not be drawn into arguing,” Crow said. But rather than just continue to sit back and wait for the election to happen, Sheryl did something active in the hope that future elections will be less brutal than the 2016 election has been to the American public.

Sheryl Crow’s petition on Change.org asks that the RNC and DNC consider shortening the election cycle. Crow notes that by the time the election comes to an end on November 8, voters will have been subjected to more than 600 days of election coverage due to the early announcement of candidates. Then Sheryl goes on to point out that globally, other countries are able to save their constituents from election fatigue by having an election cycle that is only several months long rather than years.

Is Sheryl Crow referring to underdeveloped countries? No. For instance, Canada’s last election cycle lasted only about 11 weeks according to NPR. And there are other election limitations in foreign countries that could be beneficial to Americans and stave off election fatigue.

In Germany, public officials are limited to one 90-second television ad. And the U.K. limits the amount that candidates are allowed to spend to less than $30 million. When compared to the nearly $2 billion raised for campaigns by Clinton and Trump combined for the 2016 election, it seems that Sheryl Crow may not be too far off in suggesting some significant reform.

While Crow supports a shorter election cycle, Sheryl did note that perhaps it is the primary races that need a longer time to develop. Taking note that a grassroots campaign propelled President Barack Obama to a win in his first election, Crow seemed to think a longer primary would help those with less notoriety such as former Democratic challenger Senator Bernie Sanders. Still, one has to wonder, if America struggles to move beyond a two-party system rather than broaden its candidate selection, is there any chance that we could make such a significant change to shorten the election cycle as Crow suggests?

Tell us what you think. Is Sheryl Crow right? Could shortening the election cycle in the future reduce stress and election fatigue?

[Featured Image by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]