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Congress was front and center in the national news last week and the American people were far from impressed. If they could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, 59% of voters would like to throw them all out and start over again. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 17% would vote to keep the current legislators in office.
Today, just 23% have even a little confidence in the ability of Congress to deal with the nation’s economic problems and only 24% believe most Members of Congress understand legislation before they vote on it.
Last week, the House of Representatives initially rejected a financial bailout bill proposed by the Bush Administration. Later, after the Senate added a number of items that some call “pork” and others call “sweeteners,” the measure eventually passed. While the bill survived Washington, it did so at a time when just 30% of voters favored it and 45% were opposed.
Only half (49%) believe that the current Congress is better than individuals selected at random from the phone book. Thirty-three percent (33%) believe a randomly selected group of Americans could do a better job and 19% are not sure (see crosstabs).
A separate survey found that just 11% of voters say Congress is doing a good or an excellent job. (see crosstabsand recent trends).
Despite these reviews, more than 90% of Congress is likely to be elected this November due to an electoral system designed to benefit incumbents. The biggest advantage offered those in the House of Representatives is a process known as Gerrymandering where Congressional Districts are loaded with friendly voters from Representative’s own party. In effect, Members of Congress—working through their state legislature--get to choose their voters rather than letting voters choose their Congressman.
Also aiding incumbents is high name recognition from news coverage, large staffs funded by taxpayers, and other perks. While the staff positions are technically excluded from politics, the constituent services they provide in a Congressman’s name are among the most effective of all campaign techniques.
Forty-nine percent (49%) of all voters believe Members of Congress are paid too much while just 5% believe they are paid too little. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say Congressional pay is about right.
While unhappiness with Congress cuts across partisan and demographic lines, Democrats are a bit less unhappy than other voters. Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans would vote to throw out the entire Congress as would 62% of unaffiliated voters. Only 43% of Democrats go along. Still, just 25% of those in Barack Obama’s party would vote to keep the entire Congress even though it’s controlled by Democrats.
However, there is agreement across party lines when it comes to whether or not most Members of Congress understand legislation before they vote on it—25% of Democrats say yes along with 24% of Republicans and 24% of unaffiliated voters.
Democrats currently enjoy a nine-point advantage in the Generic Congressional Ballot. When the Constitution was written, the nation’s founders expected that there would be a 50% turnover in the House of Representatives every election cycle. That was the experience they witnessed in state legislatures at the time (and most of the state legislatures offered just one-year terms).
For well over 100 years after the Constitution was adopted, the turnover averaged in the 50% range as expected.
In the twentieth century, turnover began to decline. As power and prestige flowed to Washington during the New Deal era, fewer and fewer Members of Congress wanted to leave. In 1968, Congressional turnover fell to single digits for the first time ever and it has remained very low ever since.
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There are many times a no confidence vote would be tempting.
I think if we had that these suckers would think twice about things.
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At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
We, the voters, have no one to blame but ourselves; we continue to vote in the same cast of characters each year. Blame can be placed on the image in the mirror folks...
We, the voters, have no one to blame but ourselves; we continue to vote in the same cast of characters each year. Blame can be placed on the image in the mirror folks...
Exactly, we hear this all the time. Problem is... everyone thinks it's the other guys fault. It's the ol' "everyone's gotta go but my guy" syndrome.
As I have stated before I will be voting against all incumbants regardless of party affiliation. I suggest that you all do the same. It is the only way we can make a change.
PS: I will be writing my own name as a write in for President as a protest to the failure of either party to nominate someone who is capable of leading this nation!!
Kyl, Shadegg lost any chance of getting my vote the second he supported (McCain and Obama would have blown it if I weren't already writing in one of the few guys in Congress that should still be there).
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People of Mars, you say we are brutes and savages. But let me tell you one thing: if I could get loose from this cage you have me in, I would tear you guys a new Martian ***hole. You say we are violent and barbaric, but has any one of you come up to my cage and extended his hand? Because, if he did, I would jerk it off and eat it right in front of him. “Mmm, that’s good Martian,” I would say. - Jack Handey
The measure of one's individual liberty is proportionate to their acceptance of personal responsibility. Without the latter the former will cease to exist.
As I have stated before I will be voting against all incumbants regardless of party affiliation. I suggest that you all do the same. It is the only way we can make a change...
There are many times a no confidence vote would be tempting.
I think if we had that these suckers would think twice about things.
When 60% of the country wants every single policitician out of the government I would HOPE that would be enough to have politicians think twice about things.
When I read that headline, the first thing I said to myself is......AWESOME, at least I know now we got them out numbered.
60% ? That is more than enough to to scare me into thoughts of revolution, and not the peace kind. If I were in Washington I would have pooped a brick reading that.
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“That’s another thing we are trying to establish, that we will be relentless and we are going to play physical,” defensive end Antonio Smith. “If you do catch the check-downs, you’re going to have to pay for it.”
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