One Less Line on That Tax Form

That pesky little box at the bottom of the tax return that asks if you want to contribute to public financing of presidential elections? It’s apparently going to go away.

No candidate has taken matching funds for primary elections since 2000. The reason given: Spending limits are too restrictive. President Obama skipped the general election funds in 2008 — and that is expected to become the norm.

You and I (I speak generally, of course) have not been big supporters of the idea that came into play after Watergate. In the early 1980s, 29% of tax filers agreed to a $1 contribution; in 2010, just over 7% of us chose to kick in the $3 requested.