Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Who rules America? [Great, but unsurprising, read]
The Hill ^ | Aug 12, 2014 | Allan J. Lichtman

Posted on 08/13/2014 9:10:13 AM PDT by upchuck

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last
This article is pretty much singing to the choir.

But it's the same old, same old... follow the money.

When I snail mail a letter of concern to senator linda graham and it takes 4-6 weeks to get a response and the response is a generic POS that has nothing to do with my concern, that tells me she absolutely does not give a sh!t about what I think. She's gonna do what she's gonna do and, as Vanderbilt said, paraphrasing, her constituents be damned.

IMHO, we desperately need term limits to help restore the power back to the people. Any other ideas?

1 posted on 08/13/2014 9:10:13 AM PDT by upchuck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: upchuck

People read this and tune out how much money the average democrat politician has. The media is owned

Watch Hillary run Fox News.


2 posted on 08/13/2014 9:15:43 AM PDT by stanne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

This is why there is a Tea Party. It is the only way to make an impact.


3 posted on 08/13/2014 9:16:02 AM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag ($$$$$$$$ DEFUND OBAMA! $$$$$$$$$)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

“IMHO, we desperately need term limits to help restore the power back to the people. Any other ideas?”

All in favor of term limits but doubt that is a solution. You’ll only get the same types but with different names until the system changes. Take away the politicians ability to bestow favors (tax breaks, subsidies, pick a winner legislation) and big business and other elites will lose interest. Then, maybe, the politicians will find the time to answer your correspondence.


4 posted on 08/13/2014 9:16:47 AM PDT by DugwayDuke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

‘IMHO, we desperately need term limits to help restore the power back to the people. Any other ideas? ‘

Really? The same people you say care little for your interests youll trust to write term limits. I doubt itll work as you envision.

Rather than write any new law heres a radical idea...become politically active and vote. Our system of govt is predicated in these ideas (among others). Its not at all difficult but somehow seems out of the reach of this lazy apathetic society. Its easy really...become involved or become a slave. Its just that simple.


5 posted on 08/13/2014 9:20:03 AM PDT by 556x45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck
average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence."

The opposition to ObamaCare was about 70% and we know how that worked out.

If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it."

Mark Twain -


6 posted on 08/13/2014 9:20:55 AM PDT by itsahoot (Voting for a Progressive RINO is the same as voting for any other Tyrant.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

BTW just in case its unclear...we already have term limits. If you dont like the current guy recall him if thats possible or vote him out next term.


7 posted on 08/13/2014 9:20:56 AM PDT by 556x45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck
We have the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world, most of the federal budget is devoted to unsustainable transfer programs, we are headed for national bankruptcy, the public schools are a disaster area, public employee unions are looting the public fisc at that state and local level, infrastructure is crumbling, businesses are fleeing the country in increasing numbers ...

... and big money, corporate-dominated interests are calling the shots?

You have to have a pretty strange angle of vision to torture that diagnosis out of our political predicament.

8 posted on 08/13/2014 9:28:58 AM PDT by sphinx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck
Ordinary citizens are themselves partly to blame, however, because they do not choose to vote.

The problem is not so much not voting as it is too many voting with no thought and doing the bidding of the enemedia, which is a non-stop cheerleader for big government.

Two of the most consistently high states in voter turnout are Minnesota and Utah, who are in the 70% plus range. One consistently elects leftist lunatics, the other consistently elects people who at least pretend to be conservative.

9 posted on 08/13/2014 9:29:05 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 556x45

That is a completely naive statement. There are millions of ways that incumbents have stacked the deck in their favor.


10 posted on 08/13/2014 9:31:01 AM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: upchuck
Corporate interests have ruled America since its founding.

IMHO, we desperately need term limits to help restore the power back to the people.

Term limits prevent me from voting for my preferred candidate. If the people want power to vote someone out, they do not need term limits. They already have that power.

Plenty of state legislatures have term limits. Things have not gotten any better.

Real change, in my opinion, comes from rejecting the Big Two political parties. But there does not appear to be enough people willing to put in the time and energy to change election laws (that restrict third parties) and build a competent party from the ground up.

(Not to mention the fair-weather people who squawk about the Big Two for three years at a time, then can be found in the election booth pulling the levers for the same Big Two every fourth year).

11 posted on 08/13/2014 9:31:27 AM PDT by gdani (Every day, your Govt surveils you more than the day before)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Vigilanteman

Yes. It is your civic duty to educate yourself, and THINK about the issues, then vote. If you haven’t done the first part then it’s your civic duty NOT to vote.


12 posted on 08/13/2014 9:33:02 AM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: upchuck
A shattering new study by two political science professors...

The first few words in the article pretty much put this "study" in the suspect column. Two professors? What is their worldview (do I really need to ask?)? Clearly, it is an attack on big business. What about all the special interests and NGOs of a far Left nature that probably have far more influence on politics than any business? We'll be seeing a lot of this garbage between now and election day.

13 posted on 08/13/2014 9:39:10 AM PDT by Major Matt Mason ("Journalism is dead. All news is suspect." - Noamie)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stanne

Two quotes come to mind.
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing” & “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”

Translation: The American public has chosen to become disengaged (”good men to nothing”) in the political process and conservatives want a white knight (the “perfect”) to sweep in and save the day, otherwise they won’t vote.

Term limits are a band aid for doing nothing. We have term limits here in Arizona. The end result is professional politicians just shuffling chairs. When they term limit out as a Rep., they run for the Senate, then an executive branch job. Rinse and repeat.

Same with the whine for a constitutional convention. It’s nothing more than wanting someone else to “fix” the end result of people refusing to engage in the political process.

Want to make a difference? Put down the video games and the beer and get involved.


14 posted on 08/13/2014 9:39:48 AM PDT by Klaatu Barada Nikto (Liberty is not a Loophole)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

Who rules America?


Soros?


15 posted on 08/13/2014 9:44:38 AM PDT by Jane Long ("And when thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck
The analysts found that when controlling for the power of economic elites and organized interest groups, the influence of ordinary Americans registers at a "non-significant, near-zero level.

Fallacy of construction. All Americans are members of multiple "organized interest groups." There is no such thing as "ordinary Americans" in opposition to "economic elites." Everyone plays the game, including such nominally wholesome groups as farmers and "working people."

Does anyone seriously want to deny that environmentalists and government workers, to take two examples, are people who are not the "economic elites" the authors have in mind yet significantly influence government policy?

The professors' homework is to read Federalist 10.

16 posted on 08/13/2014 9:49:20 AM PDT by untenured
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 556x45
If you dont like the current guy recall him if thats possible or vote him out next term.

The only federal politician I have a problem with (and it's a big one) is linda graham.

Senators cannot be recalled. And she just won the pubbie primary by using her six million dollar warchest.

IMHO, politicians should not be allowed enough time in Washington to build up a multi-million dollar campaign slush fund.

If they are term limited, it would reduce the need for $$.

Again, IMHO, 12 years in Wash DC is plenty.

Personally, I'd like to see a restriction that says if you've held public office, you can't ever go to work for a lobbying firm. But I suspect that would trample on personal rights.

17 posted on 08/13/2014 9:55:07 AM PDT by upchuck (It's a shame nobama truly doesn't care about any of this. Our country, our future, he doesn't care.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Vigilanteman

With voter fraud in every state and national election, I see no reason to believe that voting even makes a difference. Republicans run as conservatives and after 6 months months start reaching across the aisle, with a few notable exceptions, Cruz, Paul, Gowdy, Gohmert, Sessions, and the kid from Utah, that is about it.


18 posted on 08/13/2014 9:55:56 AM PDT by Foundahardheadedwoman (God don't have a statute of limitations)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

The Golden Rule: Them that has the Gold makes the Rules.


19 posted on 08/13/2014 10:07:46 AM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

Problem with term limits is that it puts the power in the hands of un-elected bureaucrats, congressional staffers and judges.

What we really need is to vastly reduce the power of central government so that the Money loses interest in manipulating it.

Also the Several States should take ownership their Congresscritter and Senators, paying them, providing their staff and housing, and expenses. As things stand Congresscritters are and Senators are employees of the Federal Government which is a conflict of interest if ever there was one.


20 posted on 08/13/2014 10:12:16 AM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson