Here we go again.  In three days, the presidential candidates report how much campaign cash they've raised over the past three months--and that, in turn, tells us voters who has a chance to become president and who doesn't have a prayer.

(Obama and Clinton still in the lead for Democrats!  Romney just wrote himself a check for several million!  Romney and Giuliani are ahead of McCain!  Richardson might overtake Edwards!  So, from all of that... can you figure out who will be the best president?)

That's how our system works.  It's a money chase, because fundraising is the first measure of a presidential contender--and fundraising comes down to wealthy donors, not average voters.  (In the first quarter of this year, 79% of the money raised in the presidential race came from donors who gave $1000 or more.  That's not your average voter, not even close.  But we don't matter yet.)

The skyrocketing cost of campaigns isn't limited to the presidential race; it's happening across the board.  So we're asking folks to join Common Cause in calling for the presidential contenders to commit to support "Clean Elections" reforms once they're in office and help to stop the money chase.

The contenders are raising lots of money--and they have to, if they want a chance to win.  We need a system that doesn't require them to spend all their time and energy fundraising from wealthy donors, and we need them to commit to support that system--in the form of bills like the Fair Elections Now Act--if they're elected president.

Go to our action center and let them know that you want their commitment to stop the money chase.  They need to hear it now.