It’s a terrible idea for America to turn its judges into politicians and not just for philosophical reasons. Judges are supposed to be unbiased arbiters of the law, but having to deal with an election cycle every few years turns them into campaign whores.
Studies have indicated that the need to raise money to successfully win reelection may influence how harshly judges rule. While that prospect is terrifying, it isn’t even the most offensive.
It’s a pretty standard practice for judges to call attorneys in their area and solicit campaign donations from them. If that’s not a recipe for corruption, then I don’t know what is.
Watch John Oliver explain just how bad this is.
