President Barack Obama got caught on an open mic in Russia the other day, talking confidently about his re-election.

The other campaigns pounced on it, and off they went for another news cycle. It appears we’re in for a year of distraction, with Congress distracted and stalled, candidates raising millions and campaigns spending those millions on ads.

We like to think we’re different from countries such as Canada, France, Germany or the UK (and better, too). They limit election campaigns by law to three or four weeks and guarantee by law equal air time to the candidates, and public funds to all candidates who qualify.

We have a market-based, commercial view of political life. This has brought us a political industry that’s making campaigns longer, while it swallows billions and hobbles Congress.

A corporation is not a person, and money is not speech. If we don’t put sane limits on our political casino, it will be the ruin of our democracy.

Charles Ferguson

East Vassalboro

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