There IS NO anti-incumbent mood!

[Synthaholic]

Nice opinion, but anyone can have an opinion...

I see no facts presented that tell us the existing usually "safe" democratics aren't being liberal enough... If that were the case then the "safe" D would be tossed on primary day by those unhappy D's who don't see the "Hopeandchange" working fast enough...

I do see the numbers for the R going up and the numbers for the D going down... That doesn't support your theory either...

There may be reasons for, say, Feingold's lesser support that have nothing to do with teabaggers. For instance, he voted against the financial reform bill.

Yes, opinions are nice. You've shown no evidence that the 3 you mentioned are having difficulty because of teabaggers.

I never claimed their problems were do to Tea Party members...

I do say that your claim of "no anti-incumbent mood" is unsupported by facts...

Just the fact that only 8 out of over 300 have been defeated for re-election.

But continue ignoring that fact.

 

[Misty]

I want new faces in congress. I want term limits on congress.

 

[Synthaholic]

*Whispers very quietly* "Downtown Scotty Brown"

*Runs*

Let me explain something to you. The thread is about incumbents getting voted out, not incumbents dying.

 

[Synthaholic]

I want new faces in congress. I want term limits on congress.

You basically want to enact a law to throw the bums out because you don't have the personal will to throw the bums out. You want the law to save you from yourself?

And I mean that as a collective 'you'.

 

[Dr.House]

There may be reasons for, say, Feingold's lesser support that have nothing to do with teabaggers. For instance, he voted against the financial reform bill.

Yes, opinions are nice. You've shown no evidence that the 3 you mentioned are having difficulty because of teabaggers.

I never claimed their problems were do to Tea Party members...

I do say that your claim of "no anti-incumbent mood" is unsupported by facts...

Just the fact that only 8 out of over 300 have been defeated for re-election.

But continue ignoring that fact.

Unlike you, I ignore nothing...

How does that prove no (as in non-existant) anti-incumbancy mood? Te fact that 8 got tossed shows that it in fact DOES exist... The true test comes in November - when the majority D's face the minority R's and I's... If incumbents get tossed then you should come back to this thread and apologize for wasting our time....

 

[WillowTree]

I urge you all to viddy this clip, which pretty much proves that there is no anti-incumbent mood sweeping the nation. Sadly.

It is a completely non-partisan clip, but I must warn you that it is presented by Rachel Maddow.

Now, for those of you whose ideological identity is so fragile that you cannot bear to see a few moments of the scary 'Ms. MadCow', just FF to around 2:39.

But the whole 5 minutes is very revealing about ALL the media hyping this notion that "we've had it, and we are throwing the bums out."

It ain't so. It's a lie.

It's reporting like this that makes Rachel Maddow indispensable. Yes, she has a Liberal POV, but she also covers and uncovers truths about politics that few others in the media touches - on either side.



Rachel Maddow Show

 

[Jarhead]

I want new faces in congress. I want term limits on congress.

You basically want to enact a law to throw the bums out because you don't have the personal will to throw the bums out. You want the law to save you from yourself?

And I mean that as a collective 'you'.

NOt saying I agree with it....but it seems that laws designed to protect the people from the consequences of their own actions is becoming quite the new rage.

Seems you are a victim if you sigend without reading the fine print.
Seems you are a victim if you lied on a mortgage application and signed the affidavit attesting to the validity of the information.

But I guess that is a thread for another day.

 

[Big Fitz]

I want new faces in congress. I want term limits on congress.

How to fix career politicians.

- 2 terms only for any elected position.
- Cannot run while in office, except for same office.
- 30 years total time in office at any level excluding military, law enforcement and rescue services.
- Forced retirement from bureaucracy after 30 years. No benefits till mandatory retirement age.
- Cannot work for a private government contractor, lobbyist, media outlet or university for 10 years after leaving politics or bureaucracy.
- No bureaucratic position can be paid more than the 50th percentile of it's private sector equivalent INCLUDING benefits.
- Conviction of Bribery or voter fraud is a capital offense.

Think that would stop a lot of BS?

 

[SFC Ollie]

I have to agree with Dr house. We will see if there is truly a anti-incumbent mood in the country come November. Until then we can only speculate.

 

[Sinatra]

I have to agree with Dr house. We will see if there is truly a anti-incumbent mood in the country come November. Until then we can only speculate.

The biggest motivator going into this election cycle is anti Obama-Pelosi-Reid.

Period.

 

[midtermlongterm]

Kudos to Rachel Maddow! -- What anti-incumbent fever??

'Incumbent appeal' is the true sentiment!

'Incumbent appeal' must gain wider news appeal, and household-word.......appeal!

 

[onecut39]

ROFL... Yeah. Dream on. I've yet to talk to a person in real life who isn't so fed up they want to vote anyone who's currently serving in office out, regardless of party.

I've never seen it this bad. And with the ads running right now in MN, it's very likely to happen unless ACORN can get the graveyards and criminals to vote again in this state.

Are we living in the same Minnesota?:

 

[Flopper]

I urge you all to viddy this clip, which pretty much proves that there is no anti-incumbent mood sweeping the nation. Sadly.

It is a completely non-partisan clip, but I must warn you that it is presented by Rachel Maddow.

Now, for those of you whose ideological identity is so fragile that you cannot bear to see a few moments of the scary 'Ms. MadCow', just FF to around 2:39.

But the whole 5 minutes is very revealing about ALL the media hyping this notion that "we've had it, and we are throwing the bums out."

It ain't so. It's a lie.

It's reporting like this that makes Rachel Maddow indispensable. Yes, she has a Liberal POV, but she also covers and uncovers truths about politics that few others in the media touches - on either side.



Rachel Maddow Show

I don't usually listen to someone this far to the left, but she seems to have hit the nail right on the head. Look at the statistics for the primaries so far.

317 incumbents won their races
7 incumbents lost their races (4 Republicans and 3 Democrats)

Most voters don't subscribe to the theory, that anyone would be better than what we have now. I have spoken to a few folks who will vote but are definitely not political junkies. One thing that came through in all the discussion was that they believe it doesn't matter much who gets elected. This not an attitude that inspires voters to make a change.

 

[Flopper]

I want new faces in congress. I want term limits on congress.

How to fix career politicians.

- 2 terms only for any elected position.
- Cannot run while in office, except for same office.
- 30 years total time in office at any level excluding military, law enforcement and rescue services.
- Forced retirement from bureaucracy after 30 years. No benefits till mandatory retirement age.
- Cannot work for a private government contractor, lobbyist, media outlet or university for 10 years after leaving politics or bureaucracy.
- No bureaucratic position can be paid more than the 50th percentile of it's private sector equivalent INCLUDING benefits.
- Conviction of Bribery or voter fraud is a capital offense.

Think that would stop a lot of BS?

I agree with all your recommendations except the first. Two terms for a House member is not long enough. House members spend the first year of their two year term trying to figure out how Washington works, building alliances, and voting strictly down party lines. The next year is spent campaigning. That's right. These guys spend half their term trying to get re-elected. That leaves them one term to get anything done for their district. If we had real campaign reform such as no more than $100K campaigning, then I could support a term limit for House members of 4 terms.

 

[California Girl]

*Whispers very quietly* "Downtown Scotty Brown"

*Runs*

Let me explain something to you. The thread is about incumbents getting voted out, not incumbents dying.

For the terminally stupid.... same theory. Was it not referred to as 'Kennedy's seat'? (The arrogance of which I still find stupefying.) It should have stayed Dem, should it not? The Kennedy's backed the Dem, did they not? If there was no 'anti-incumbent' mood, why did a safe Dem seat not stay a safe Dem seat?

 

[SFC Ollie]

I urge you all to viddy this clip, which pretty much proves that there is no anti-incumbent mood sweeping the nation. Sadly.

It is a completely non-partisan clip, but I must warn you that it is presented by Rachel Maddow.

Now, for those of you whose ideological identity is so fragile that you cannot bear to see a few moments of the scary 'Ms. MadCow', just FF to around 2:39.

But the whole 5 minutes is very revealing about ALL the media hyping this notion that "we've had it, and we are throwing the bums out."

It ain't so. It's a lie.

It's reporting like this that makes Rachel Maddow indispensable. Yes, she has a Liberal POV, but she also covers and uncovers truths about politics that few others in the media touches - on either side.



Rachel Maddow Show

I don't usually listen to someone this far to the left, but she seems to have hit the nail right on the head. Look at the statistics for the primaries so far.

317 incumbents won their races
7 incumbents lost their races (4 Republicans and 3 Democrats)

Most voters don't subscribe to the theory, that anyone would be better than what we have now. I have spoken to a few folks who will vote but are definitely not political junkies. One thing that came through in all the discussion was that they believe it doesn't matter much who gets elected. This not an attitude that inspires voters to make a change.

The point is that they are Primaries, I bet there are a lot more than 8 incumbents who lose in November, a whole lot more.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Well you blew it when you cited an ultra-Socialist/Progressive Democrat for your "Facts." Not much credibility there in my opinion. But i'll play along anyway. There may not be an Anti-Incumbent mood but there is an Anti-Socialist/Progressive mood. That's not good for the Democrats. So many Democrat incumbents could be shown the door this Fall. So she may have been partially correct but she was also being a bit misleading and disingenuous. I guess we'll see though.

 

[daveman]

Democrats privately fear House prospects worsening

Top Democrats are growing markedly more pessimistic about holding the House, privately conceding that the summertime economic and political recovery they were banking on will not likely materialize by Election Day.

In conversations with more than two dozen party insiders, most of whom requested anonymity to speak candidly about the state of play, Democrats in and out of Washington say they are increasingly alarmed about the economic and polling data they have seen in recent weeks.

They no longer believe the jobs and housing markets will recover — or that anything resembling the White House’s promise of a “recovery summer” is under way. They are even more concerned by indications that House Democrats once considered safe — such as Rep. Betty Sutton, who occupies an Ohio seat that President Barack Obama won with 57 percent of the vote in 2008 — are in real trouble.

In two close races, endangered Democrats are even running ads touting how they oppose their leadership.

“Democrats kept thinking: ‘We’re going to get better. We’re going to get well before the election,’” said one of Washington’s best-connected Democrats. “But as of this week, you now have people saying that Republicans are going to win the House. And now it’s starting to look like the Senate is going to be a lot closer than people thought.”

A Democratic pollster working on several key races said, “The reality is that [the House majority] is probably gone.” His data show the Democrats’ problems are only getting worse. “It’s spreading,” the pollster said.

 

[Flopper]

I urge you all to viddy this clip, which pretty much proves that there is no anti-incumbent mood sweeping the nation. Sadly.

It is a completely non-partisan clip, but I must warn you that it is presented by Rachel Maddow.

Now, for those of you whose ideological identity is so fragile that you cannot bear to see a few moments of the scary 'Ms. MadCow', just FF to around 2:39.

But the whole 5 minutes is very revealing about ALL the media hyping this notion that "we've had it, and we are throwing the bums out."

It ain't so. It's a lie.

It's reporting like this that makes Rachel Maddow indispensable. Yes, she has a Liberal POV, but she also covers and uncovers truths about politics that few others in the media touches - on either side.



Rachel Maddow Show

I don't usually listen to someone this far to the left, but she seems to have hit the nail right on the head. Look at the statistics for the primaries so far.

317 incumbents won their races
7 incumbents lost their races (4 Republicans and 3 Democrats)

Most voters don't subscribe to the theory, that anyone would be better than what we have now. I have spoken to a few folks who will vote but are definitely not political junkies. One thing that came through in all the discussion was that they believe it doesn't matter much who gets elected. This not an attitude that inspires voters to make a change.

The point is that they are Primaries, I bet there are a lot more than 8 incumbents who lose in November, a whole lot more.

Time will tell, but these statistics don't support your conclusion. One might argue that voters that will vote in November will have a different opinion. I believe that most voters that vote in general elections that did not vote in the primaries do not hold strong political opinions and tend to follow their parties lead.

 

[onecut39]

..............You like them criticizing people that exercise their right to free speech?....................


People are free to speak, others are free to criticize that speech. You can't have one without the other.