It always has been. Contrary to popular mythology, a lot of politicians make a career of Congress while sending almost nothing to the folks back home. Louie Gohmert has done almost nothing for Tyler or Nacogdoches, but he "scream[s] and holler[s]," and for most of his voters, "that's [his] job." Ted Cruz just got re-elected, and he hasn't done jack-shit for Texas in 6 years (7 now).What job is she getting done? She basically just got to Congress. https://t.co/kp956lp2Xk
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) February 8, 2021
I stand by my theory that we send people like Gohmert and Cruz to Washington because they're too obnoxious even for Texas. That's their job; to be assholes somewhere besides here.
Same as it ever was.
I've never paid attention to where Gohmert's district is. I'm sorry to see he reps my father-in-law, who is embarrassed to have him. My sister-in-law probably loves him, but it looks like she lives just across the county line in another district.
ReplyDeleteElecting someone because they engage in performance art in contrast to actual representation isn't limited to just the right. I remember at the time of the death of Paul Wellstone, a there was a lot energy on the left at his passing. Michael Moore spoke at the funeral, etc. I still remember a piece by a Democratic congressional aide on his passing. They pointed out that while Wellstone was known for his left positions and speeches, there were much less well know and moderate representatives that had accomplished much more for left leaning causes by working to pass legislation, chairing committees and more. It was the difference between rhetoric and effectiveness. I learned a good lesson from that. When Sanders ran against Hillary Clinton, I was initially drawn to him because of his political positions. What changed my mind was how thin his resume was for making real change given his long years in congress and the senate. We wasn't effective. I would much rather vote for someone further from my views but will make changes, over someone I agree with completely but it ineffective at making change.
ReplyDeleteSince I am on this wandering thread, I will continue. (In December I turned the age where I now qualify for the senior menu at IHOP (no thank you) or can live at a retirement community like The Villages (please shoot me first), so I am going to start working on my grumpy old man persona). The first deniers of election results and believers in conspiracy election theories where not the Trumpists, but the Bernie supporters. Most of them came back to reality, but some never did and I suspect traveled to Trump's camp and joined the election dis-believers there. To wander some more, members of the same left crowd where the ones with "Question Authority" bumper stickers. I always thought such an attitude mindless, how is automatically rejecting something really any different from automatically accepting it? I would guess that folks that had such attitudes are much more likely to be anti-vaxxers than the general public or even more so those on the left.
There isn't a simple solution, these are more facts of the human condition. The knee-jerk, it's education!, doesn't fit. As we saw with the attack on Congress, many of the people there were educated and financially successful. I can point to any number of people I know with no college or degrees gained at schools that would be looked down on (small regional state colleges) who are far more discerning and thoughtful than people with advanced degrees and/or with gold plated degrees from fancy universities.