When Politics Forgets About People

It is not an uncommon view to say that politicians have forgotten about the people in the pursuit of high office and money from special interest groups.

 When politicians discuss issues like jobs, education, and immigration, they seem to know the line of electability “we need more ______________, but they fail to understand that there are people behind these statements who need something beyond electoral buzzwords.

Even worse, a candidate for president went throughout the Southern United States blithering about cheesy grits as though the great people of Alabama and Mississippi were ignorant children needing to be talked down to.

Those people are people whose votes you need, you might want to act like you give a damn.

No party is above contempt in this regard, a great number of Democrats also treat their perspective voters as misbehaving children too.

How would the Romneys and Obamas of the world like it, if we just walked up to them, patted them on the head and cooed “That’s a good little presidential candidate”?

The Politics of Sex Scandals

Herman Cain’s presidential ambitions ended amid a torrent of sexual allegations and policy gaffs on Libya. A quick survey of political figures illustrates that not every politician will be ended by an sexual scandal, some of even thrive after their moral escapades hit the front page: see David Vitter of Louisiana.

This led me to consider why some political figures can survive a moral scandal, while others are road kill to be remembered by tabloids and sitcom writers.

Another strategy used out by many political figures is to change the subject. A candidate may survive scandal if he can push the agenda away from the moral issue onto another issue. David Vitter used this out in Louisiana using great personal popularity and coming clean to shift the focus off of him onto something that the voters of Louisiana cared more about.

 Honesty is the third variable. Politicians who “come clean” are generally afforded more utility than dancers like Herman Cain, who often come off as insincere in the face of new events.

Herman Cain failed in all of these arenas and that is why he is most likely a former presidential candidate.

Blame Yourselves For Congress

Approval ratings for Congress are more pathetic than ever with 60-70% of Americans disapproving of their job performance. Congress should be blamed for two near government shutdowns, a near miss on debt default, and the constant droning of partisan bickering. But the blame also lies with the very American public who disapproves of Congress at large.

It’s a well known axiom of American politics that turnout is much greater in combined elections (presidential and legislative) than just legislative elections only. The people who turn out in legislative only election years are more politically active and generally more extreme in their views than a general electorate.

Therefore, to an extent, it could be said that the current Congressional gridlock could be blamed on the relative apathy of the general voter that turns out for presidential contests, but can’t be bothered with mid-term elections. If we want a better Congress, we have to prove it through  issue education and voting.