Also, the fact that your average congressman will become instant millionaires when elected to congress is another reason to have term limits.
Cosmic stupidity! We’ve always had term limits...its called voting. If the electorate is too stupid/lazy/apathetic to vote why do you think forced term limits will yield a better result? That and why would we trust the corrupt lot in DC now to write such a bill? Theres no substitute for being well informed and active in the political process. If you cant manage that then prepare for complete servitude.
Have been advocating termlimits for decades.
reason: first half term: finding bathroom, second half: working on your projects, second term, first half: finishing or giving up on projects, second half: working on re-election, third term and future terms: making sure you stay on GRAVEY TRAIN. I think this apply to both partys most of the time
Right. So we throw out the good guys and the bad guys so it is always fifty fifty. that way the idiots and liars never need to reform to keep control. Smart plan. /sarc
Do we really have competitive congressional elections any more?
Currently 95-99% of all incumbents are re-elected every two years.
What are the reasons for this?
Immediately following their first successful election (primarily when running for an open seat) your freshman congressman is showered with attention and financial considerations from various special interests for their next re-election campaign in two years. It is virtually impossible for a challenger to raise even a fraction of the money as the incumbent and having the most money is almost always the major advantage in a political campaign.
A sitting member of Congress has a huge advantage in receiving earned media coverage. Their every vote and position is reported and their voice and face becomes saturated in the local media market.
Every ten years, during re-districting (also known as the incumbent protection process) the insiders insure that your congressman will almost always get re-elected following the gerrymandering procedure.
Yes...as you said, “We’ve always had term limits...its called voting” but how do you educate and inform the voters of the choices when you are at such a distinct disadvantage?
Don’t mean to be such a pessimist, but we can’t possibly be happy with the crop of congressmen that we have under the current operating system with almost guaranteed incumbency advantage.
At least with term limits we can reduce the amount time each of them spends at the public trough!
Yes it does, I have the feeling when I look at newt, terms limit has expired.