And let me say this, to all of the chattering class, that so much focuses on
those little, tiny — yes, porky — amendments: The American people really don’t
care.
This asinine statement was made on the senate floor while discussing the pork ridden stimulus package. At 58 years old, Schumer has been in politics since the age of 23. He disconnected himself from mainstream America by moving directly from Harvard Law School into the political sphere. Serving the public is considered by some to be an honorable career path. I however, believe far too many “public servants” either enter into or stay in this line of work for economic gains or because they enjoy the power trip.
Statements such as this are made by both parties and should be enough evidence to call for term limits. Senators should not be serving well into their 70’s as some have done in the past. I’m not trying to say the elderly are incompetent, I’m purely imagining some of the people I know personally who are in their 70’s and thinking about how out of touch they are with current issues. People such as Schumer, who have known nothing other than politics are in many cases, simply out of touch with those they represent. It’s baffling to see incumbents elected every two years when public outcry against many of these incumbents is generally so high.
Why do you think that some incumbents manage to return over and over if the public no longer supports them or their outmoded views? Age presents an image of experience and knowledge which is perhaps not appropriate or accurate in all instances, including politics. Professions that serve the public good, or arguably any profession, must stay in touch with current practices and issues in their field to be good. Teachers have to keep training and be adaptable to rapidly changing views and practices, and not become stuck in old ways once they are out of public approval. Some teachers still refuse to teach any way except by busy work, repetition, and studying from the text with minimal creativity. I have only had one or two of these myself, but I know there are still too many of them. Maybe age is a challenge to adaptation and excellence in many fields.
ReplyDeleteSadly these politicians can be so out of touch and continually be re-elected. The public doesn't pay enough attention to most of the senators and they can make outlandish claims. People typically just vote party line. Not saying everyone does but many people just figure the house and the senate are all about democrat vs. republican and unknowingly some of their views aren't accepted within that party even though it is publically accessable.
ReplyDeleteOne part of the reason for incumbents being reelected even though congressional approval ratings have been negative for so long, is that many, but not all, people do vote party line. I also believe the second and more important reason for incumbents being constantly reelected is due to the connections and power they gain once in office. As an incumbent, they can get news coverage whenever they desire whereas their opponent is restricted by what the press allows them. Incumbents can also gain many political favors while in office and have certain interest groups vote for them based on a single vote in Congress. They can also garner vast amounts of monetary resources through many of these political favors, thus overpowering their opponents by throwing an enormous amount of money into the campaign.
ReplyDelete