"The American Candidate"

When I first read this pitch it made me a little sick, but then I started to wonder if it is really that much different from the current primary system. In fact it just seems a little more honest...

"In this election year many people are looking for the best way to communicate the ideas and information which they believe are imperative to the future of this nation. AMERICAN CANDIDATE offers a constructive and intriguing means to create a national conversation around these and other vital issues.

We are looking for people engaged in advocating for their passions and beliefs; who welcome a chance to be part of this fascinating exercise in the process of democracy.

The winner of AMERICAN CANDIDATE will receive $200,000 and a nationwide media appearance to occur after the conclusion of the series so that the "American Candidate" can make his or her address to the nation.

In America, we believe that anyone can grow up to be President of the United States. The reality is that most people don't have the means to try. American Candidate is a groundbreaking television series in which the American people will identify a People's Candidate that they would like to see run for President
of the United States.

American Candidate will provide a forum for new and diverse ideas and a path to national prominence for people with the passion and talent to make a difference. Contestants will create their own platforms, organize their own campaigns, recruit key staff members, and garner the support of potential voters. By introducing a diverse group of potential leaders, each championing a different
set of core issues and policy proposals, the show will provoke discussion and debate about what our nation is really looking for in a president. And by providing a forum for grassroots campaigns throughout the country, American Candidate will involve more people in the political process.

On American Candidate, an innovative new political television series by Showtime, 12 Americans from all walks of life will be selected to participate in an unscripted, nationally televised political forum. Through competitions, challenges, debates, and engagement with the 2004 presidential election, those 12 people will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to offer their perspective on the state of the nation and their vision for our future.

Viewers will follow a group of contestants as they campaign across the United States. On each show, the contestants will perform live under pressure, as they participate in competitions, debates, press conferences, crisis simulations, and other tests of presidential mettle. Viewers will also be able to participate in the campaigns via the internet. The final episode will be the American Candidate Convention, during which viewers will select the show's winner: the People's Candidate.

Viacom is calling!

American Candidate

(originally spotted at Media Channel