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re: Fellow southerners - why do we keep electing fools?
Posted on 3/16/15 at 9:30 am to 5thTiger
Posted on 3/16/15 at 9:30 am to 5thTiger
quote:
The Newsroom has two perfect clips about southern/tea party republicans today.
Tea Party is American Taliban
Tea Party Explained
Well, your credibility is done, it's over.
Posted on 3/16/15 at 10:36 am to 3nOut
Ted Cruz feeds on ignorance and patriotism. He is smart. He was a top debater at Princeton. But he is a fool for building his base with uber conservatives like the Tea Party. That doesn't win general elections.
Its the same reason Obama SMASHED Romney in 2012. Dems simply held Obama's mouth shut and let Romney self destruct. Also, don't tell me it was close, because close elections don't have the victor getting 330+ electoral votes.
I'm a moderate. I lean liberal on some issues, conservative on others. I am a RINO or a DINO depeding on who you talk to.
I am all about common sense. If you think a tea party conservative candidate has a CHANCE at winning the general in 2016, you clearly don't understand politics.
I don't vote based upon parties (of the big 2). I vote for the best candidate. Voted GOP for some offices, Dems for others.
Its the same reason Obama SMASHED Romney in 2012. Dems simply held Obama's mouth shut and let Romney self destruct. Also, don't tell me it was close, because close elections don't have the victor getting 330+ electoral votes.
I'm a moderate. I lean liberal on some issues, conservative on others. I am a RINO or a DINO depeding on who you talk to.
I am all about common sense. If you think a tea party conservative candidate has a CHANCE at winning the general in 2016, you clearly don't understand politics.
I don't vote based upon parties (of the big 2). I vote for the best candidate. Voted GOP for some offices, Dems for others.
Posted on 3/16/15 at 12:08 pm to Jon Ham
quote:
Fellow southerners - why do we keep electing fools?
I haven't read the entire thread. But here's my take.
In today's environment, any intelligent, sensible, decent person stays far away from elected office. Why would you drag your family and yourself through the media mud, have every thing you've ever done opened up to scrutiny and misinterpretation by the other side, and ensure your family will never have a normal life? Sensible people, the kind you'd want to actually hold office, say "thanks, but not a chance."
So, you only have the corrupt, the greedy, or the fools running - there aren't many good choices to make. Even IF, and it's a big IF, a candidate starts off with great intentions and is a good elected official, they inevitably get dragged down into the muck by having to do favors and make promises for the greater good. By the time they run for a big office, like Senator, or President, they've had to play the game too long, and they've cut so many back-room deals that they're as bad as what they set out to change.
It's a piss-poor system that doesn't attract the cream of the crop. Sadly, it's one of the best systems in the world, and it won't change any time soon.
Posted on 3/16/15 at 12:28 pm to semotruman
quote:
I haven't read the entire thread. But here's my take.
In today's environment, any intelligent, sensible, decent person stays far away from elected office. Why would you drag your family and yourself through the media mud, have every thing you've ever done opened up to scrutiny and misinterpretation by the other side, and ensure your family will never have a normal life? Sensible people, the kind you'd want to actually hold office, say "thanks, but not a chance."
So, you only have the corrupt, the greedy, or the fools running - there aren't many good choices to make. Even IF, and it's a big IF, a candidate starts off with great intentions and is a good elected official, they inevitably get dragged down into the muck by having to do favors and make promises for the greater good. By the time they run for a big office, like Senator, or President, they've had to play the game too long, and they've cut so many back-room deals that they're as bad as what they set out to change.
It's a piss-poor system that doesn't attract the cream of the crop. Sadly, it's one of the best systems in the world, and it won't change any time soon.
This. And something happened the last few election cycles in TN that probably happened elsewhere too. The Koch brothers and other conservative interest groups poured so much cash into state rep and state senate campaigns that they became several 100k to million dollar races - for freaking state house jobs that don't even pay full time! Until recently, if you had a little bit of money saved up and the connections to land you the right speaking gigs in front of voters you could run for the state house on less than 10k (many much less than that) and the state senate for around 30-50k (also a lot of districts didn't cost anywhere near that).
However, the infusion of outside national money has made it impossible for Joe and Jan Schmoe to run an effective race against that kind of money. State Senator X may well be hated and incompetent but he's bankrolled to such a degree that Joe Schmoe's campaign stands no chance.
It's a mess and TN treats being a senator or house member as a part-time job which was fine when we were all farmers and the legislature met during the non-work period and ended just in time for all the harvesting, planting, selling, etc. to done. But that world is long past and you can't pay these men and women part time wages for what is now a full-time job and not expect them to make up the money in a way that's either against the rules or downright illegal. We have a system that is setup to almost guarantee corruption happens -- so much so that it's strange, even treated with suspicion, when someone plays by the rules.
Posted on 3/16/15 at 12:33 pm to Prof
Prof, you've got it. The money is the issue. Any politician that starts out decent ends up owing favors due to the money that special interest groups hold over their heads. It's just set up for corruption. So, it attracts the lower end of the scale.
Local offices are different. But once the money gets involved, its over. And decent people want no part of it.
Local offices are different. But once the money gets involved, its over. And decent people want no part of it.
Posted on 3/16/15 at 2:01 pm to semotruman
quote:
I haven't read the entire thread. But here's my take.
In today's environment, any intelligent, sensible, decent person stays far away from elected office. Why would you drag your family and yourself through the media mud, have every thing you've ever done opened up to scrutiny and misinterpretation by the other side, and ensure your family will never have a normal life? Sensible people, the kind you'd want to actually hold office, say "thanks, but not a chance."
So, you only have the corrupt, the greedy, or the fools running - there aren't many good choices to make. Even IF, and it's a big IF, a candidate starts off with great intentions and is a good elected official, they inevitably get dragged down into the muck by having to do favors and make promises for the greater good. By the time they run for a big office, like Senator, or President, they've had to play the game too long, and they've cut so many back-room deals that they're as bad as what they set out to change.
It's a piss-poor system that doesn't attract the cream of the crop. Sadly, it's one of the best systems in the world, and it won't change any time soon.
Great answer.
Posted on 3/16/15 at 3:18 pm to Prof
You other Southern states need to follow Texas' example. Our Leg meets for 120 days every 2 years and that's it outside of the very rare Special Session. Our elected officials outside of the Governor make $7600 annually. We don't give our Leg much of an opportunity for mischief because they don't have time.
The result? Our economy has been crushing everyone else ever since the GOP took over in '94. Does oil help? Sure, but Texas is a magnet for companies in all industries that have moved her or have started here because of our low tax, business friendly culture. We haven't elected a Dem to any Statewide office since '98 and our economy has continued to thrive in spite of what the rest of the country has done.
Hate on Perry all you like, it's not hard with his looks and style. Answer this though, is there any state that has been remotely as successful as Texas since '00 when he took over? It certainly isn't all him but he is a low tax, pro business guy all the way that is also opposed to growing government at just about every turn.
The only good government is limited government. Government by its nature is broad and inefficient and as it grows it is hard to eliminate and it takes more money and liberty at every turn.
Also, Texas is fundamentally more libertarian than most Southern states, it has some Western feel and an independent streak. We have some social conservatives for sure and we have some whack job liberals but Texas probably has the most libertarian leaning population and government in the US.
The result? Our economy has been crushing everyone else ever since the GOP took over in '94. Does oil help? Sure, but Texas is a magnet for companies in all industries that have moved her or have started here because of our low tax, business friendly culture. We haven't elected a Dem to any Statewide office since '98 and our economy has continued to thrive in spite of what the rest of the country has done.
Hate on Perry all you like, it's not hard with his looks and style. Answer this though, is there any state that has been remotely as successful as Texas since '00 when he took over? It certainly isn't all him but he is a low tax, pro business guy all the way that is also opposed to growing government at just about every turn.
The only good government is limited government. Government by its nature is broad and inefficient and as it grows it is hard to eliminate and it takes more money and liberty at every turn.
Also, Texas is fundamentally more libertarian than most Southern states, it has some Western feel and an independent streak. We have some social conservatives for sure and we have some whack job liberals but Texas probably has the most libertarian leaning population and government in the US.
Posted on 3/16/15 at 4:06 pm to Jon Ham
quote:
Lindsey Graham
AFAIK, Graham keeps winning for only two reasons:
A) The Dems refuse to run a competent candidate
B) The primary field is so crowded that no *one* candidate can realistically strike a serious opposition. You have five different people all trying to attack Graham, and they all cancel each other out. Graham wins by default.
The last two cycles have been interesting in my congressional district in this regard. Chuck Fleischman is the incumbent (and retarded) congressman (R), but he had to fight for his life against a very well connected and savvy (but total douchebag) opponent in the primary in Weston Wamp. Wamp's an entitled little shite (his dad was the former congressman from this district), but he's smart, and the primary was essentially the only major election for this district's seat. The Dems didn't even bother to field a realistic candidate, despite the fact that Chattanooga proper is really pretty damn blue.
The rules are set up to support the incumbents. If you can find your way into office, with the way that primaries and gerrymandering have juiced the districts, you pretty much have a job for life.
This post was edited on 3/16/15 at 4:07 pm
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