"Career Politician"

I promise that this will be the last election-related post I will put up ... at least, until the next one.

Today we go to the polls to cast our votes in the midterm election. In my district - at least, according to all the glossy campaign literature that I've been collecting - the race is between a worthless incumbent ass clown (Representative Gerry Connolly) and an inept, criminal challenger who is going to fix everything, although said challenger's plan is pretty vague on the details (Mr Keith Fimian). To summarize the advertising:

Democratic Material (favoring Connolly or opposing Fimian): 23. Of these:
Supporting Connolly: 2 (actually, two copies of the same flyer)
Opposing Fimian: 21

Republican Material (favoring Fimian or opposing Connolly): 16. Of these:
Supporting Fimian: 2
Opposing Connolly: 14

Unattributed Material (but clearly conservative/Republican in origin because they castigate the Democratic candidate) - 2: one from "Americans for Limited Government," and one from "Americans for Tax Reform"

I'll be recycling all of them in Thursday's pickup.

But let's talk for a moment about the insult du jour that's being applied to most incumbents: "career politician."

A "career politician" appears to be someone who has been in office for more than one term, and the epithet is usually intended to paint its target as someone who is ensconced in Washington and is governing for personal profit and without regard for prudent management or the wishes of the electorate.

Actually, "career politicians" get to be "career politicians" because - are you ready for this amazing insight? -

The folks at home keep electing them!

Can ya manganese that?, as my Father might say.

So ...

If you want to apply term limits, if you're unhappy with the person you (and/or your neighbors) elected one or more times before, why not vote for someone else? And remember that your "career politician" has a political career because you put him (or her) there. Of course, this won't be quite as true in the future, as the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision now allows corporations and organizations to buy elections, creating their own class of "career politicians" that you really didn't have a voice in choosing.

Just a little bit of cold reality water to splash on your face as you head to the polls today.

And make sure you do. If you don't, you forfeit your right to complain about the government elected in your name.

Have a good day. Vote. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo