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Home Front: Politix
Voters' support for incumbents hits historic low
2010-02-18
Just when you thought Congress couldn't reach a new low, it did.

Only a third of US voters think their Congress members have earned the right to get sent back next year -- a record-low number, a poll released yesterday shows.

Thirty-four percent of voters queried think members of the House and the Senate ought to be re-elected -- while an astonishing 63 percent were in favor of throwing the bums out, the new CNN poll showed.

That's the worst performance for Congress in the history of the network's polling -- the latest red flag for the floundering Democratic leadership as it heads into an anti-incumbent voter wave just eight months before the midterm elections.
Posted by:Fred

#22  We have a free press, Barbara, and you just demonstrated it. As did Rush this afternoon. And elections have always been rigged when possible. But it is less and less easy to do and easier to detect all the time. Look at the video of the New Black Panthers. I'm not saying things are perfect, just lots better than they used to be and improving all the time.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2010-02-18 18:39  

#21  "At least a free press and elections allow us to pick new crooks so the old ones don't go too far."

It might if we had a free press, NS, instead of the PR wing of the DemocRat Party. And ACORN is doing their damndest to take care of the elections part. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2010-02-18 18:22  

#20  The job has been morphed into something that is too desirable by the political types.

Read some history. Congress has been corrupt from the first one convened. That's part of life. At least a free press and elections allow us to pick new crooks so the old ones don't go too far.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2010-02-18 18:12  

#19  Seems to me that the compensation for being a member of Congress used to be minimal.

The real money is in the reelection funds they build and get to convert to personal use at the end of their 'service'. The salary and staff are just small operating expenses by comparison for those who've been in long enough. Check how many family members are on the reelection committee payroll.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-02-18 16:42  

#18  Seems to me that the compensation for being a member of Congress used to be minimal.

Today, it's a whole new ballgame.

The job has been morphed into something that is too desirable by the political types. This has to be reconsidered and undone.
Posted by: gorb   2010-02-18 16:30  

#17  Tread very carefully with that meme here at the Burg, CrazyFool.

In fact, tread so carefully you Don't Go There.

/ Your Friendly Mods
Posted by: lotp   2010-02-18 15:37  

#16  How about banning any laws which only apply primarily to members of congress or their families or staff. Isn't that in violation of the 'equality clause'?

Actually simply banning any type of Security at the capital building will probably do wonders....

Posted by: CrazyFool   2010-02-18 15:26  

#15  yes term limits, it was never supposed to be a life long profession. I'm tired of the old timers telling the newbies to vote with them if they want to be on the right committees.
Also no more two tier health and benefits deal.
Posted by: Jan   2010-02-18 15:01  

#14  --FYI: List of Current Members of the US House of Representatives by Seniority: LINKY
Posted by: Tom-Pa   2010-02-18 15:00  

#13  As with PC's....

Sometimes you just have to wipe the HD and install from scratch again.

(I heard that somewhere...).
Posted by: CrazyFool   2010-02-18 14:40  

#12  The problem is the relationship between the federal and state governments. We've lost our federalism and need to get it back. Dems have spent 80 years chipping away at the basic structure of the Constitution. Here's how we get it back.

1. Repeal the 16th Amendment. Power and money go together. Congress could still collect excise taxes and the like, but no VAT, income, wealth or sales taxes.

2. Repeal the Commerce Clause. Section 1, Article 8 of the Constitution lists the powers that Congress has. It has no Constitutional authority to do anything else. One of those enumerated powers is to regulate interstate commerce. This is the basis for 99.99% of what the federal government does. Health care, light bulbs, growing wheat in your own backyard for your personal consumption -- Congress can regulate it all under its commerce power. So, that power goes away entirely and we replace it with an amendment which amounts to a free trade agreement among the states enforceable in federal court.

Congress would never approve these changes to the Constitution. It would have to be done via a Constitutional Convention of the States. That makes sense. It's in their interest. We'd need at least 30 rock solid governors to make sure the process stays on track.

Once enacted the balance of power shifts right back to state and local government where it belongs.
Posted by: Iblis   2010-02-18 12:14  

#11  I dunno. Might be shaping up for a "fire them all" election. Depends on the misery index, I'd say.
Posted by: mojo   2010-02-18 11:19  

#10  The problem with term limits is that it increases the power of the unelected bureaucrats because they are the only ones that know what is going on and how to make things happen.

Yet you've live with just those conditions in DoD. The officers move about every three or four years to new assignments. It's the civil bureaucrats in the Pentagon, at the installations and schools, that provide continuity between those coming and goings. It has its issues, but one of them is not dominance outside of the [Service] Secretaries who usually move themselves with each administration change.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-02-18 11:03  

#9  I was a long and fervent supporter of term limits until I listened to someone with a strong counter argument.

The problem with term limits is that it increases the power of the unelected bureaucrats because they are the only ones that know what is going on and how to make things happen. Imagine a totally uncontrolled HHS or DD.

This is why we need to cut way back on gov't. If there wasn't so much regulation we could worry about term limits. As of now I think that we need strong Congress folk with the power to rein in the bureaucrats. Ummm, does anyone know where to find some?
Posted by: AlanC   2010-02-18 10:33  

#8  Unfortunately, Glenmore is right. It's always the other guys Congressman. Term limits!
Posted by: AllahHateMe   2010-02-18 10:22  

#7  For the older incumbents it a matter of cost effectiveness. Empty their reelection funds in a desperate attempt to hold on to their seat which is looking real iffy, or call it quits and get to keep the money in the reelection fund which is a sure thing.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-02-18 09:38  

#6  I support Illinois style 'term limits.' One term in office, second term in a federal penitentiary.
Posted by: Besoeker   2010-02-18 09:26  

#5  Incumbents' self-confidence does seem to be waning. We'll see what %-age of incumbents who run for re-election actually make it, I predict about the same as it has always been. I do not support term limits. I do support throwing the rascals out.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2010-02-18 09:24  

#4  I'm for Term Limits !! so that ALL of the members have to get recycled out of office. Glenmore is correct in his assertion.
Posted by: Tom-Pa   2010-02-18 07:48  

#3  Voters are dissatisfied with Congress as a whole, but mostly not with their own Congressmen, so things won't change. A few bodies may get swapped out but the replacements won't be any different.
Posted by: Glenmore   2010-02-18 07:26  

#2  ...while voters' disgust with incumbents is all time high.
Posted by: twobyfour   2010-02-18 06:25  

#1  I say fire all the bastards!!!!
Posted by: texhooey   2010-02-18 01:14  

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