But why stop at Federal elections? And who decides the standard for a "serious" candidate? I envision such a scenario as leading to a great deal of complexity, and the loopholes that come with it. Seems more efficient to make sure that nobody spends more than a fixed amount on a single campaign.
It would require a system of town halls and open mikes with pre-primaries to determine which party affiliates and independents could go further.
While spending no more than a fixed amount would be more efficient, it solves neither the cheating problem nor the fact that those who can bundle the most donations will get preferential treatment.
too stupid !!! lots of very rich candidates lose and since much of the big money goes to Democrats you should love the current system.
If you want to improve the electoral process. 100% follow the Constitution and give voters a political IQ test.
How can voting possibly work if you have people voting on monetary policy when they don't even know what monetary policy is.