I think most people run for Congress in order to do things

[CreekDog]

except for Blue Dog Democrats.

they go to Congress to not do things.

what a waste of a great opportunity. :eyes:

Blue Dog Creed:
I will only openly support a good idea if Republicans like it.
I will not fully support a good idea if Democrats like it but Republicans do not.
If it's a good idea, I'll only support doing half of it because that makes it better.
If it's a bad idea that Republicans like, I'll work to get Democrats to support half of it.
*this does not apply to wars...I vote for all of those. :eyes:

[tblue]

1. I will declare myself as a Democrat and oppose the party platform

unless my corporate donors tell me it's okay.

[Hippo_Tron]

2. People run for Congress because it's a good job

Members of congress do things that allow them to keep their jobs. Blue dogs, whose constituencies consist largely of Republicans vote Republican on a lot of issues in order to keep their jobs. If they lived in different districts they would vote differently.

There are some exceptions (Joe Lieberman) who represent blue districts but still vote with the GOP. But the evidence is overwhelming that members of congress vote primarily based on what they think will get them re-elected.

[vadawg]

4. +1 i dont think some people get that, they imagine the whole of america is san francisco or NY

[Hippo_Tron]

5. I don't think they imagine the whole of America as San Francisco or NY

I just don't think they get the fact that a large portion of the American people vote against their own economic interests and that trying to vote in favor of their economic interests is a great way to get your ass kicked in the next election if you represent a district where lots of these people live.

Politics is an extremely complicated phenomenon which is why there is an entire academic discipline devoted to studying it. I think that a lot of people don't take the time to try and understand the nuances of the system and just assume that because a certain Congressman votes a certain way that they must be a good person or a bad person because of it.

[CreekDog]

7. I'm glad you posted that because it answers a question I had

which was if you had me ignore or not.

:rofl:


:hi:

[vadawg]

10. rofl, thats the one thing i promised myself, i will never use ignore

i am here to read and learn and that means even from the people who hate me :)

[IndianaGreen]

14. and some of you want America to turn into Mississippi circa 1960s

The Vichy Democrats are alive and well, and they merely sugar coated Republican policies into a bill they voted for.

[old mark]

6. The FIRST priority of any elected politician is to get re-elected, again and again.

It is a very easy job, with great perks, and lost of opportunities to get your ego stroked, extramarital sex of all kinds, and all the cash you can lift. These people are emotional children-nasty children- and cannot be regarded as real adult human beings.
They are obnoxious people in real life, and most of them do good for the nation only by accident.
Then they get a bridge named after them.
IIRC, Mark Twain referred to Congress as "failed Lawyers."


mark

[Hippo_Tron]

8. I think that's somewhat of an exaggeration

First of all, I wouldn't say it's an easy job in most cases. Congresspeople work fairly long hours and even if much of that time is spent getting re-elected in some cases, it's still work. Some congresspeople are lazy as shit and don't do a whole lot of work, but I think they are in the minority. Some certainly love the kinky extramarital sex but not all of them. I do agree that the vast majority do have big egos and they certainly love all of the perks that the job comes with.

That said, all in all I don't think they are children because they act in a manner that allows them to keep their jobs. Most people probably wouldn't do something that would result in them losing their job even if it is the right thing to do.

[old mark]

9. Don't forget they have large staffs to do the heavy work. I am offering this

as my opinion of politicians based on several that I knew through my father when I was growing up.

mark

[Hippo_Tron]

11. I'm aware of how their staffs work, congresspeople still work pretty hard

Again, there are some lazy ones who don't do shit. These are the ones who never have to worry about running for re-election and are past the age where they have presidential ambitions.

But this is the exception not the rule. And while staffers are very important, they can only do so much of the work. Ultimately if a congressperson wants to get a bill to pass they need to do a lot of the heavy lifting on their own. Staffers are not on equal footing with Congresspeople and thus they can't convince them to vote a certain way on bills, etc.

[old mark]

12. Well, I'm glad someone has a positive opinion about these people.

I don't.
I find little good in the best of them.

mark

[Hippo_Tron]

15. It's not a positive opinion

It's a neutral opinion. They are people just like any others and people, for the most part, put themselves first.

[treestar]

19. Why is this kind of bigotry OK?

You're judging people as a group and making a stereotype.

[Sherman A1]

16. Which is another way of saying

they vote based upon what they believe the majority of people in their districts want. If they voted in a manner that would be contrary to the wishes of their voters would mean they would no longer be in their seat and unable to have any affect.

[Ozymanithrax]

3. They did a good job.

Freepers and the right are pissed of and running scared.

Peoples lives will be saved.

[IndianaGreen]

13. Congress is bought and paid for by corporate interests

Republicans and Democrats are just two wings of the same bird of prey.

[CreekDog]

17. did you even read the post?

it wasn't about Republicans and Democrats.

[treestar]

20. Then why do we the people allow that?

We don't have to vote for the candidate who got the most in corporate contributions. We're not forced to.

[Cha]

18. Well, my Blue Dog acutally voted

for the Health Care Reform.