So here we have a political system that expends months of relentless politicking and tens of millions of dollars in what will be for the most part a futile effort to change that precious first impression. The irony is even greater when you realize that the influence of big money in politics stems directly from this protracted campaign season and the political advertising that consumes money in million dollar gulps. The icing on the cake is that neither candidate holds much appeal beyond the diehard partisans who will vote for their party's candidate no matter who it is. For those folks, that first 10 second impression of both candidates was a bad first impression and it will be an uphill battle for either candidate to get much movement. For America, how we elect our politicians clearly falls into this category.
Many countries handle their elections quite differently.
Their campaign seasons are much shorter, in most cases lasting only a few weeks from start to finish. And get this. When the election is over, the winner actually gets to take office within a matter of a week or two. Contrast that with the United States, where campaigns that should take two months end up taking two years. If you want something to reform, start with the length of time we spend on our campaigns.