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We just finished up some elections here in Florida yesterday, a ticket full of self proclaimed "career politicians", outsiders, nobodies and rejects not fit to lead a Johnny detail.
I truly question the term "career politician" and "Political Insider", because many of these career politicians are the ones who have contributed to our current mess.
The ones who say "oh oh wait I do this for a living so if you don't elect me I am out of work...."
or "well, i know how Washington works, i can play their games"
the games being (in case u did not know)
1 THE BLAME GAME: Blame anyone else, especially memebers of another political parrty, for the problems the nation has now. If you blame others loud enough and long enough, you will not have to do any actual work at fixing the problem. Done correctly, this will distract voters and constituents enough to anger them, and most will not realize that you are doing nothing to fix anything. (Perfected long ago by Rush Limbaugh and Bill Moyer)
2 THE PARTISAN POLITICS GAME. DO not ever, under any circumstances, cooperate or work with anyone who is not part of your party, no matter how many problems it will solve and how good for the nation it might be. Find flaws in any little detail of any bill presented by an opposing party member, blow it out of proportion (lie if you have to) and make sure nothing gets your support unless it comes from YOUR party leadership.
3 ALWAYS ASK "What's in it for me?" THis should be the first thing you say to anyone, especially lobbysits and special interest group representatives. Never work with anyone unless they are doing something to make YOU look good and further your career. Need a bill presented? Make sure you or a relative is getting a nice gift for a "consulting fee" before you present it. Remember, as an insider and a career politician, your longevity depends on your wealth and your charm, and that is ALL.
SO the question is, do we need more of these types in Washington, being that they are the ones who got us into our current state ?
On one hand looking at people who had high ideals who are outsiders, or less experienced, such as Carter and Obama, we see that lack of experience can hurt. On the other hand, I could list the career politicians who are involved in the current shutdown for nothing more than the 3 games listed above, but that would be a long list.
A president such as Reagan, Clinton, had years of state level experience, did a pretty good job of being president. Career politicians such as Kerry, Kennedy, McCain, and Byrd also worked hard for many years, but newbies such as Marco Rubio found out the hard way that they could not tread the water of the congressional pool and sank. (Still yelling "MARCO" with my eyes closed but quit hearing "RUBIO" a few weeks ago)....
SO, I mention this because I saw an interview with Jesse "THE BODY" Ventura who wants to take his governor skills to Washington, and he is a non nonsense, pull no punches (outside of the WWF at least) and back to basics workhorse who feels that someone who just works and does not put up with any BS might be a great candidate, and riding the discontent which voters currently have with congress may give him window of opportunity.
But it does bring up a point, is it time to get people who work into Washington, not career politicians, but people who actually understand that their job is to REPRESENT the issues and needs of their constituents ?
Is it time to put people outside of the partisan games into key offices so that the three washington games listed above are not such an issue? Just wondering.
Then there's the large animal vet who ousted a 12 term congressman in the primary with a tad of help from the big $ tea party backers. I seem to recall he was quoted as saying something along the lines of how a failure to resolve the debt ceiling would have a stabilizing effect on the markets.
This entire debt ceiling theatre is all about the primaries. Failure to tow the tea party line means the likes of Koch will use his money to destroy you in the primaries.
This entire debt ceiling theatre is all about the primaries. Failure to tow the tea party line means the likes of Koch will use his money to destroy you in the primaries.
Failure to be a liberal means people this person will make up absolutely absurd lies to destroy the public reputations of people she doesn't know.
1: we get a truly neutral media. their job is not to be cheerleaders for one side and smear the other. their job IS to report the facts, not conjecture, not unsubstantiated rumors, etc. but real hard verifiable facts, and do it without spin.
2: we need to set term limits for ALL elected positions at all levels of government, not just for president.
3: we need to set time limits on how long people can work for the government in non elected positions, including judges, but excluding the military, experience there is important, and that also include law enforcement as well.
4: we need to also stop allowing those who have been in elected office for ever working for government ever again in any capacity.
5: we need to eliminate professional lobbyists at all levels of government.
In my opinion.......NO!!!! EVERYONE from the president on down to the local school board member should have limits. I also agree with trimming down the lobbyists, unless you are a member of some special interest you get little or no representation. Agreed on the media. There should not be a government-media complex. The media needs to be independent and as unbiased as possible in reporting the news (it is currently NOT). In elected and non-elected positions there needs to be a MANDATORY retirement age for EVERYONE including the black-robed segment. Plus whatever laws congress/senate passes need to apply to them as well including the affordable care act. And they need to be MADE to READ the entire bill before passing it (I know, no NAFTA amongst other things....too bad, stop writing bills that are 7 feet tall then). Let's do away with the "elitism" of government and maybe not so many would be interested in getting elected to pad their bank accounts.
I support term limits. If there's a limit for presidents, there should be one for all elected officials. The idea of someone making a decades-long career out of politics is anathema to me, be it Strom Thurmond or Ted Kennedy.
I support term limits. If there's a limit for presidents, there should be one for all elected officials. The idea of someone making a decades-long career out of politics is anathema to me, be it Strom Thurmond or Ted Kennedy.
Term limits and age limits.
Strom Thurmond was likely incontinent by the end of his term, often falling asleep and drooling during meetings. Ted Kennedy, of course, was just a legendary drunk who should have been in prison for murder.
If you're old enough to collect social security, then you're too old to vote on key litigation that likely will never impact you.
Career politicians are the cancer that is killing this country.
1: we get a truly neutral media. their job is not to be cheerleaders for one side and smear the other. their job IS to report the facts, not conjecture, not unsubstantiated rumors, etc. but real hard verifiable facts, and do it without spin.
2: we need to set term limits for ALL elected positions at all levels of government, not just for president.
3: we need to set time limits on how long people can work for the government in non elected positions, including judges, but excluding the military, experience there is important, and that also include law enforcement as well.
4: we need to also stop allowing those who have been in elected office for ever working for government ever again in any capacity.
5: we need to eliminate professional lobbyists at all levels of government.
I like your list......and in addition.......
1) A truly neutral media is likely never going to happen as long as there is a human element to media ownership. It would be great if, like the old Dragnet line, they stuck to "just the facts, ma'am". But I am not hopeful.
2) Term limits plus age limits at ALL elected levels of government.
3) Time limits plus age limits for non-elected positions. No more lifetime appointments for SC. I don't know if the glazed look in Ruth Bader Ginsburg's eyes is disinterest or cataracts, but I do know at age 80 she's past her useful life as a SC justice.
4) and 5) Totally agree with you here.
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