Term Limits « POWIP

31Aug/105

Term Limits

There has been a lot of talk recently about term limits, particularly in response to the ethics complaints against Rangel and Waters. They are so entrenched in their voters’ minds that ethics violations, even if proven with evidence, will have a negligible effect on their vote totals. They might win by 25% instead of 32%. The argument is simple, without term limits, people like Rangel and Waters will be in office for life.

The problem, however, is that those districts are not going to be won by the opposition party any time soon; it would take felony charges and publicized evidence involving children to flip those seats. If Rangel was term limited, he would simply run the seat from back stage as a king maker; choosing successor after successor with machine politics. I much prefer the current system to opening machine politics in every safe district in the country.

As a good capitalist, I pretty consistently think the answer lies in competition; but the rules have been rigged with gerrymandered districts. I love a good safe Republican seat as much as the next guy, but it’s a deal with the devil. There are states who have experimented with non-partisan commissions aided by computer software; with some success measured by congressional turnover.

I’m not sure what to do about the Senate, where it seems to take a felony conviction (Stevens) or death (Kennedy) to get some folks removed. Maybe the higher turnover at the House level would increase the size of the field, helping to identify candidates who could hope to unseat a Harkin or Grassley. Or maybe our imperfect system really is the best option we have.

Adam Wells

Living life at 84 mph and 7000 feet. All I ask is that you don't block traffic, act like a professional, and don't act all surprised when your actions have consequences. Oh, and don't complain about the refs; trust me, they don't care if your team wins or not.

Tagged as: Redistricting, Term Limits Leave a comment

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George Condit
August 31st, 2010 - 14:45

Thanks for this post. You’re right about career politicians. They’ve got to go. But we don’t need to try to pass a law that most politicians aren’t willing to even write, let alone vote for and sign.

It’s the voters who need to enact term limits at the ballot box. With your help and others like you we’ve started a pledge that will change the face of politics. Politicians will no longer spend their lives in office if we the voters commit to act. It’s our government, and we are responsible for the state that it’s in.

Take the pledge at twotermsisenough.com and send career politicians packing!

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Snaqwells
August 31st, 2010 - 16:27

Perhaps I wasn’t clear, but I’m not in favor of term limits. Seats like Pelosi’s and Rangel’s will simply be controlled by the local political king makers, behind the scenes, without accountability.

It wouldn’t have that effect in districts that remain competitive between the parties, but those districts rarely keep a congressman for too long.

Also, not every state has the mechanisms in place to enact term limits by voter-initiative.

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JoeBob
September 1st, 2010 - 09:46

Maybe all that would happen if we had term limits, maybe not. Seems to have worked OK for the exec branch. Why not try it for a few decades and see? If we don’t like it, I’m sure politicians would be most happy to repeal it. While we’re at it, Supremes should have 20 year terms.

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JoeBob
September 1st, 2010 - 09:47

I agree that un-gerrymandering the districts would be an even better reform to implement.

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Ric Locke
September 1st, 2010 - 11:24

Un-gerrymandering the districts would help with the House, but Senators are all at large, remember?

My suggestion: at the completion of a third elected term, the politician should be executed. By firing squad. Against the east face of the Washington Monument. At dawn, so’s the sun’s in their eyes.

Last meal at their choice of Bobby Van’s or the Capital Grille, on the taxpayer’s nickel.

No restrictions on running for the third term. That would be unAmerican.

Regards,
Ric

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