Realize that by election time in November, this presidential campaign will have been going on for two years. The amount of money required is obscene. The physical demands on the candidates are obscene. The incessant numbing television chatter is obscene.

There have been 21 televised "debates" just for Democrats, and we're not even through the primaries. I fear that come November a saturated voting public will be turning off.

By contrast, in Great Britain a new government is elected generally after a campaign of about 30 days, with strict limitations on television use. In America, it is not possible to make rules to bring some sanity to this business without running into First Amendment limitations. Even the McCain-Feingold bill that would regulate campaign contributions has been challenged in court on free-speech grounds.

But we don't need legislation. There is no reason why the two major parties cannot come together on behalf of a suffering public in a voluntary pact that would bring reason and order to the whole process. Who knows? They might even do the voters an enormous favor by setting forth 10 commandments for running ethical campaigns. That would be truly extraordinary.

Richard Aroner

Cary