The Finest Congress Money Can Buy

As I write this, a recent poll indicated about 13% of Americans actually approve of the job their Congress is doing.  About 77% disapprove while the remaining 10% could not find Congress on a map.  This is the lowest approval rating since such ratings began (I wonder when that was?).

In the recent voting on the financial bailout package, over 90% of the people contacting their senators and representatives asked them to vote against the package.  As we all know, the bill passed in spite of such overwhelming opposition from the people.

I cannot imagine how the people we send to Congress could say more clearly that they don’t give a rip what we think.  Who do we think we are?  Their bosses?

But, my fellow citizens, there is a reason the people in Congress feel they can ignore our wishes.  There is a reason they are not worried about their abysmal approval rating.  Why, you ask?

Simple.  In spite of all this, we the people are in the habit of returning them to office without regard to their job performance.  Historically, something like 90% of the ones who run for re-election will, in fact, get re-elected.  What is going on here?

I understand that the incumbent has a tremendous advantage.  I understand that we Americans have short political memories.  But I still don’t understand why we keep returning bad people so they can do it to us yet again.

In fact, I can come up with only one plausible explanation… we the people are simply not meeting our responsibility as citizens.  In a word, WE are failing in OUR jobs.  The failure of Congress is merely a reflection of that failure.  We are a strange people indeed.  Think of how many of us will fight and die for our country.  Then think how few of us will do something as simple as casting an informed vote.

Yet of all the problems faced by our country, this is the very easiest to fix.  All we have to do is pay attention, refuse to be bought by the promise of handouts, and cast our votes accordingly.  If even that is too much effort for you, try this:  When you go into the polling place to select your senators and representatives only to find that you are not sure what kind of job they are doing, simply vote against the incumbent.  What could be easier?

Evidently, this problem is not unique to our own time as evidenced by this quote from President James Garfield:

“Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress.  If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption.”

Now go do what’s right!

Tweet This Post