Status Quo; as a society we are reluctant to throw things away. Why is that? I have at least a half dozen bath robes, yet I wear one each day that should have been pitched a couple of years ago. The robe is terry-cloth and terribly frayed, but somehow I cling to it thinking it can still be functional for a few more washes, when I know it really belongs in the trash can.
We have that tendency to wait and see if perchance we might still get something out of it before we totally give up. Maybe its in our DNA to behave that way. Look around, how many things do you have in your garage that are now just useless clutter? More than you’ll ever admit to I’ll bet. I hate to throw out magazines, I think I’ll give them to the hospital, often I take a stack to the shop were I have my haircut; they seem happy to have them.
I guess I am trying to point out the same thing happens with elected officials, people like Urdahl come to mind….24 years in the public trough ought to be more than enough for anyone….far more. We need a two term policy in this state that would be applicable to every office no matter at what level from U.S. Senator to Dog Catcher. We could lead the nation in that legislation, set a precedent for the nation. We passed that legislation for the highest office in the land and it works, why not mandate it for all other elected offices?
Before Obama the Oval office was occupied most by rich white protestant men. Maybe Ford did not fit that mode but his entry was not through the election process and when it was…he lost. We are witnessing it now with Romney.
Clinton was white and protestant but not rich; he did two terms then they tried to get his wife in for another two terms for what could have been a sixteen year run. When I was born Roosevelt was in office; I thought he was a king because he did twelve years. George Bush and his son did twelve years together; I voted for them in each of those elections…..mistake I think as I look back, especially with Jr. But I jumped ship when Obama showed up.
In life it is the populace that brings change; the elected officials are happy where they are. At some point they need to be reacquainted with the door they came in.
Peter Children
Any Article by Peter Children
Things used to be different. Now they are not the same.
I don’t like the way is handling .
Wow!! What language are you butchering?
That would be the super website mangling my post thinking it was written in HTML.
I am pretty sure the website (programming) only displays what is being put in. I use both HTML and Alt Characters, without problem. As well, I often cut and paste from both PDF® and Open Office® files with no errors.
What OS and browser are you using?
Peter – that you thought Obama was a better choice to virtually anyone clearly demonstrates your inability to do critical thinking.
I did my own checking on Obama. When I found his association with Bill Ayers and Bernadette Dohrn, let alone all the other nefarious characters in the Chicago political machine, it was decidedly thumbs down on Obama for me. I think my suspicions about him have been borne out.
As to booting out incumbents on a regular basis, I’m all for it. The problem is we keep reelecting them as they bring home the goodies (even though it’s our own tax dollars) and we reward them for it.
Instead of grousing about the past, why don’t you come up with a way to actually create term limits &/or campaign finance reform?
You’ll have your work cut out for you, particularly at the Federal level.
In order to amend the constitution you have to get 2/3’s of both houses of Congress to agree or 2/3’s of state legislatures to call a convention. Up to now, all amendments come via the Congress.
Do you really think Congress is going to vote against the process that put them there?
I doubt it.
What idea can you come up with that would get around this?
I understand that term limits would need to pass the congress and that would be near impossible….unless the constituents
back home issued a mandate of sorts telling the office holder that we would vote for any challenger after the second term. Listen to this. The Senators runs for election and re-election in their home state to represent the people who live here. But its the Federal Government who pays them; this then gives them immunity from those who elected them. The only way to get to them is in the voting booth. Politicans always put themselves first.
Peter finally nailed one. Look no further than Iowa’s two senators. Grassley and Harkin. Both should’ve been booted years, hell decades, ago. But neither party will admit that their guy needs to go.
Both have been slopping it up at the public trough for so long they have no idea what it means to actually work.
Both rake in an embarrassingly high salary. The benefits and retirement are absolutely obscene.
I totally agree on term limits at all levels. It is the only way we are going to get away from the favortism (spelling) and the graft and corruption we now have. Everyone, no matter which party, is fed up with congress that does nothing and refuses to do their job. What a waste and joke these clowns are and we pay them excellent wages and benefits. If we paid them what they are worth they wouldn’t run for office.