Forum Post: Term Limits for Congress, NOW!
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 13, 2011, 1:23 a.m. EST by blitznstitch
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Senators can serve for 2 terms total in their lifetime. Congressmen can serve for 3 terms total in their lifetime. Let's get rid of career politicians! They are the root of all our troubles - they are the ones who woo lobbyists, they are the ones out of touch with the people, they are the ones who stand in the way of our progress, they are the ones who did TARP, repealed Glass-Steagall, lowered the rich tax burden, spent our nation into near insolvency, etc. They are the ones who pander to the extreme just to keep their jobs! If we do this, we can find comfort knowing that a Senator or Congressperson who stands in our way will one day be unable to do so! Term limits for Congress! - the lack thereof being the root cause of all your complaints!
I never understood that idea. What do term limits accomplish other than forcing out politicians that the majority of voters approve of? I find that term limits are usually the cry of a political party that is in 2nd place.
Right now, a politician needs enormous amounts of money to run for office. In order to raise money, challengers must hit up special interests for donations. We know from numerous studies that the person with the most money is likely to win, with the exception of incumbents who have the high ground.
The challengers who are willing to sell out their integrity the most will get the most money and likely win.
Once in office, an incumbent doesn't have to raise as much money AND donors are more likely to fund him because he has higher odds of winning reelection than a challenger does of unseating him. After his first term in which he pays off his political debt to his donors, an incumbent can be a more honest politician.
What you are advocating with term limits is even more corruption as challengers all compete to selling out, paying off their debts when elected in exchange for passing some small beneficial legislation (if they're not totally bought and there to merely help their backers).
Term limits are a BAD idea!
Term limits are not a bad idea. All your concerns exist with or without term limits. The President of the US has a term limit and it does our democracy great good to know that a person cannot become a dictator in the Executive Office. But in Congress, we have many dictators! The problem with money in elections is separate from the problem of congressional dictators. Campaign finance reform need to change now, despite the lack of term limits.
I think we'll have to agree to disagree on the term limit thing. :)
We do have term limits, if you will... through elections.
Elections are rigged - gerrymandered. Most politicians are re-elected time and again because they are entrenched. The point is to get fresh ideas and fresh new people in Congress. The point is to force people out so that Congress better represents the people.