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Five reasons our political system is broken.
Money: It now takes at least a million dollars to wage a campaign for Congress (several millions to run for the Senate). Those who do run have to spend more time raising money than they spend meeting with voters. Most people – though highly qualified and perhaps better qualified – decide the money chase just isn’t worth it.
Interest Groups: Both parties are dominated by interest groups that are outside the mainstream. These groups are not looking for common ground or common sense. Yet, candidates must cater to these groups because they are often the key to getting a party’s endorsement (and, not incidentally, campaign money).
Seniority: In Congress (especially the House) seniority rules. That means that committee chairs (who wield inordinate power) are often legislators who came to Washington three, four or five decades ago. They are still trying to enact yesterday’s agenda. And, they use (sometimes abuse) their power to get what they want.
Gerrymandering: Most sates draw legislative districts in order to create safe districts for the political party in power. As a result, few districts in America are any longer truly competitive. That often means that the winner of a party’s primary is almost assuredly going to win the general election. Ultimately, that leads to a Congress with fewer moderates – and more partisanship.
Careerism: Too many politicians have made a career of politics. That means we do not have enough legislators today who have had real experience in the private sector that could help to inform their public policy decisions. It also means that they are constantly in campaign mode because they want to keep their jobs. Instead, what we as a nation need are legislators who will do their jobs.
That is my two cents.
Tim
Five Things Wrong with the Rightwing Opposition to the President
1. The Socialism Charge. This is something John McCain started about a year ago, and it’s sort of taken on a life of its own. Since then those on the far right haven’t ever really stopped calling the president a socialist – somehow forgetting that it was their own Republican President, George Bush, who abandoned free market principles when he bailed out the banks.
2. Tea baggers. These activists have organized anti-tax rallies across the nation - called TEA Parties – meant to echo the famous Boston Tea Party that preceded the American Revolution. T.E.A. stands for Taxed Enough Already, which is a valid point of view. But there’s one problem – for a lot of these people, and for most Americans - President Obama actually reduced their tax burden with a middle class tax cut as part of the economic stimulus bill.
3. The Nazism Charge. Unless someone is committing genocide or invading countries, as a good rule of thumb, you’d better not be comparing anyone to the Nazis. This goes for everyone, not just those on the political right. Nazism is truly evil, and the more you throw the term around in a cavalier fashion, the less it means.
4. Glenn Beck. He is an inconsistent, hypocritical, bitter fool. He’s a professional sensationalist, who has been elevated by unwarranted media coverage. He enjoys the puzzling adoration of a select few. Listen to him all you like, just remember he is a raving lunatic.
5. The Olympics. Right-wingers jumped for joy at the news that the president failed to bring the Olympics to his hometown of Chicago, citing it as evidence of his ineffectiveness. However, if the president had succeeded in getting the games, you would’ve heard cries that Obama is only paying back his moneyed friends back in Chicago. In fact, right wing radio was already singing that song when it seemed like Chicago was a lock. This hypocrisy belies opposition for opposition’s sake. Enough already!!
Those are my FIVE cents!
Marcus
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