Sooo the "smarter than average" person representing us.... Like this guy... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Byrd ... who was born in 1917 and a member of the KKK... or this guy, who "governed" in the last year of his life with brain cancer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kennedy ... Im sure they were and ARE making the BEST decisions for the USA.... Im sure Byrd, in his 90s isn't a senile old man that really is making the best, informed, educated, decisions for our country...

OH and Im sure there are plenty of of others that are into their 80 that really shouldn't be in the capacity they are currently in.... Im sorry, but the mind is NOT as sharp for the majority of humans once we get past a certain age...

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here is the "smarter than average" person representing us... he is only 90 something... and this was from about a year ago... Im SURE he is making the best decisions for us.... of course the people aren't smart enough to vote him out, but come on, why should these seats be almost lifetime appointments....

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Are you disagreeing with his assertion that it makes sense to have smarter than average people representing us? If so, I think you have to do a little better to discount the argument than cherry picking two examples.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

We elect people to make decisions based on how we feel, not what they think is best (because they're "smarter") - I think THAT is what his argument is.

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Does that mean they should be catering to our egos over our better sense of judgment?

Its a double edged sword really.
If you look at it from an election process point of view, it goes like this:

Candidate proclaims where they stand on the issues of the day.
By doing so, they garner votes from those that favor where the candidate has put themselves on their respective issues, i.e. whatever that particular voter has interest in.
Candidate is molding themselves to fit the needs not of the voters, but of how to get the majority of the vote. AND THERE IN LAY THE VERY FLAW OF OUR SYSTEM. PEOPLE DO NOT HOLD THEIR RESPECTIVE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO THEIR WORD.

If a candidate has run on a pre arranged platform to garner a majority of the support, each individual group from a variety of issues should expect their candidate to uphold what they say they stand for. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN OUR SOCIETY ANYMORE. THE ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE NOT HELD TO ACCOUNT FOR WHAT THEY PROCLAIM THEY STAND BEHIND, ISSUE BY ISSUE, THEREFORE IT IS "REASONABLE" TO ASSUME, THEY ARE ALL LIARS!!!!

Class dismissed

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

Im not saying that we shouldn't have "smarter than average" people in these positions... My issues is simply, is a guy in his 90s and a terminally ill cancer patient or even some of these guys in their 80s, that have been in office for decades, 1) still in touch with the people 2) still hold that "smarter than average" title... I know my Grandfather was a pretty smart dude, but in his 80s, he was pretty much done mentally....

Im not against old people... lol... but I do not think some of these guys in their 80s and 90s have the mental capacity for the position any longer... and we the people are the ones that suffer... but again, we the people, keep voting them in... i do see the catch .22 ...

Maybe all the house and senate should all be given wonderlic tests before elections and have a CURRENT photo taken... and when you go to vote you get to see their scores and a CURRENT picture of them... lol.... we do it for football players, why not for senators... especially if we do want "smarter than average" people in office.... and If a person can not achieve a minimum score on the test or you see the grimm reaper in their picture, they are not allowed to run for office!

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an interesting read... and kind of illustrates my point about some of these guys being around to long and being out of touch with the people.... I have to say I don't understand some of the references he makes, not sure why the author calls McCain a Psycho, lol, none the less an interesting rant....

Dr. Pistoph Excoriates Professional Politicians
Here’s something I don’t understand. Do some people who go into politics plan to make it their life’s work? Or are they simply unable to get or keep a real job? Look at the tenures of some of today’s professional politicians. Former Ku Klux Klansman Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) was first elected in 1959. The late murdering womanizer, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) served 47 years; Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) since 1963; Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) since 1974; bumbling Vice President Joe Biden (D-DE) was elected to the Senate in 1973; the late Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC) served for 47 years and like Robert Byrd was senile for the last 25 years of his tenure. Representative John Dingell (D-MI) has served 54 years; Representative John Conyers (D-MI) has served 45 years; Representative David Obey (D-WI) was elected 40 years ago; tax-cheat Representative Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has been in the U.S. House for 39 years; Representative Bill Young (R-FL) for 39 years; and the psychopath Senator John McCain (R-AZ) was first elected to the U.S. House 27 years ago.

OK, I know that was really a long paragraph. But not nearly as long as some of these jackasses have been taking a paycheck at the expense of the taxpayer. And worse, they have been there so long that they are costing us in so many other ways . . . mainly as a result of the garbage that they are sponsoring and for which they are voting.

Here’s another question. Why do so many losers in our society continue to vote for these professional politicians? Every election they show up at the polls and like robots they pull the lever for the Kennedys, the Byrds and the Dingells of the world. I don’t know if it’s because they are each being paid $10 for the vote, or are just dumber than a ball of belly button lint. More than likely it’s both.

Yet, believe it or not I’m OPPOSED to term limits. While this may sound like a good way to get rid of these leeches it’s not the answer. I have a better idea. I think once a politician has served 20 years in office he should be required to work at McDonald’s, Burger King or Wal-Mart for five years before he or she can run for office again. In the process, the politician can be reintroduced back into society to learn how to live a productive life after 20 years of pillaging and plundering. And I’ll bet the recidivism rate would drop precipitously.

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What the FUCK do you mean by that? Egos? No. Better sense of judgment? No.

REPRESENT OUR DESIRES. Egos and judgment have nothing to do with it. If 100% of the population wanted us to bomb Japan, you're goddamn right we better drop that bomb.

That's all I was saying - hopefully that clarifies it.

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Don't know what got you all upset Francis, but what you said seemed to fit the definition of ego:

ego-make decisions based on how we feel, not what they think is best.

Anyways, the main point is that the people have no idea whether we should intervene in Kashmir, send special forces to the mountains of Pakistan, invade Iraq(for brown uranium), or even bomb Japan. The type of government you speak of is called direct democracy, and it is VERY dangerous. If 51% of people believe we should nuke someone that doesn't mean it's going to have a good outcome. My point is that what the people desire isn't always the best course of action, because they often are not privy to matters of national security, and because many of them are stupid as fuck(I already mentioned that I think).