Regardless of polls and sensational events, the long-term reelection rate of Congress has remained around 97% for the last few decades — higher than that of the Supreme Soviet at the height of the Cold War.
If you’re all for “change”, don’t hold your breath.
The unfortunate reality is that while America as a whole finds great fault with Congress – current approval is in the very low double digits or high single digit range – individual Americans tend to love their Representative and Senators. Congress has learned well that so long as it panders to the wants of its constituents, those voters will return their Representatives and Senators to office to keep bringing home the ‘pork.’ We The People have failed to rise to our responsibility to be faithful stewards of our Constitution. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts to the detriment of America’s best interests.
Pogo was right – we have found the enemy and he is us.
Of course, in our sad state of affairs the blame certainly can’t be permitted to fall on us. So, we depend on the gridlock of divided government to address the problem the voters should claim as their own to fix.
“Voters Not Eager for One-Party Control of Government”
True. But having the same party control Congress and the White House does provide clear accountability.
“Divided government” became the norm only after 1968. Before Nixon (as I recall), no president took office in the 20th century without his party controlling Congress.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Note how some polemicists conflate “one-party government” with “one-party state.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
For those who wish to follow these things . . .
Political Wire offers maps, updated daily, showing presidential and Senate races state by state: http://politicalwire.com/
The ‘midterm’ election in 2010 will see the other party either regain control (if a Democrat is elected to the Executive) or stay in control (if a Republican is elected to the Executive). That seems to be the ongoing pattern inthe past.
I am not eager for it. The Democrats will want to take away from me something I want to keep.
Regardless of polls and sensational events, the long-term reelection rate of Congress has remained around 97% for the last few decades — higher than that of the Supreme Soviet at the height of the Cold War.
If you’re all for “change”, don’t hold your breath.
The unfortunate reality is that while America as a whole finds great fault with Congress – current approval is in the very low double digits or high single digit range – individual Americans tend to love their Representative and Senators. Congress has learned well that so long as it panders to the wants of its constituents, those voters will return their Representatives and Senators to office to keep bringing home the ‘pork.’ We The People have failed to rise to our responsibility to be faithful stewards of our Constitution. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts to the detriment of America’s best interests.
Pogo was right – we have found the enemy and he is us.
Of course, in our sad state of affairs the blame certainly can’t be permitted to fall on us. So, we depend on the gridlock of divided government to address the problem the voters should claim as their own to fix.
Craig
“Change” is all I anticipate I will have left after the Democrats get done with the tax code. :).
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
“Voters Not Eager for One-Party Control of Government”
True. But having the same party control Congress and the White House does provide clear accountability.
“Divided government” became the norm only after 1968. Before Nixon (as I recall), no president took office in the 20th century without his party controlling Congress.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Note how some polemicists conflate “one-party government” with “one-party state.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
For those who wish to follow these things . . .
Political Wire offers maps, updated daily, showing presidential and Senate races state by state: http://politicalwire.com/
The ‘midterm’ election in 2010 will see the other party either regain control (if a Democrat is elected to the Executive) or stay in control (if a Republican is elected to the Executive). That seems to be the ongoing pattern inthe past.
You’d have to be a Marxist to think the courts lean conservative.
“You’d have to be a Marxist to think the courts lean conservative” —#8
When was the last time the Supreme Court was this conservative?