From: mykes@shell.portal.com (mike myke schwartz)
Subject: Re: Campaign funding a joke
Followup-To: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh,talk.politics.misc,uiuc.politics,alt.politics.elections
Organization: Portal Communications Company
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 02:35:10 GMT

Mike Jones (mjones@fenway.aix.kingston.ibm.com) wrote:
: kkopp@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (koppenhoefer kyle cramm) writes:
: >mjones@fenway.aix.kingston.ibm.com (Mike Jones) writes:
: >>>I want that our federal government is made up of community leaders,
: >>>who give a few short years of their lives to public service as our
: >>>representatives.
: >>This is a noble notion to be sure. On the other hand, given the
: >>complications of the modern world, would such a government be able to deal
: >>with the nuances of foreign policy? Weapons negotiations? Would every
: >>President spend the first 10% of his term learning the ropes? I don't think
: >>this is a bad idea, but I do want to point out that it is not without
: >>problems.
: >  So, what you are saying is that government has become SO complex that
: >we now have no hope of ordinary people understanding how it is run.  
: >  Watch what you say, because the next thing you know we won't be 
: >educated enought to vote.  Government can never become too complex for 
: >the people to understand and run it.  If this is the case, then government
: >reform is even more important.
: 
: No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying merely that I don't really
: have a problem with the "career politician" per se, and that I don't think
: that someone who has never been in government is generally as qualified to
: be, President as someone who has been a Congressman or Governor and has some
: practical experience with how things work. There's a good bit of difference
: between understanding issues and being able to operate effectively on them.
: 

Just for persepective's sake:  Can you name a senator or representative
(i.e. not former senator or former representative) who has been elected
president?  Our best president this century was a 2nd rate actor, and
former sportscaster.  He was also president of the screen actor's guild
and did a short stint as governor of california.

: >   Have you ever heard of a Republic?  That is what the US is, and that is
: >what makes it great.  There are times when the Congress must insulate itself
: >from public opinion and use IT's judgement as to what is best.  These people
: >who make up the Congress, however, must be of ordinary stock.  Yes, they
: 
: Of course, here is the catch-22. To the Congress bashers, when Congressmen
: consult polls to determine what their constituents want they're "ducking the
: tough decisions", or "playing politics", or "working for re-election". When
: they use their own judgement, they're "not being representative", or
: "appeasing special interest groups", or "ignoring the voters". In some
: people's eyes you can't win. In fact, I agree with you about the proper role
: of both following public opinion and one's own instincts. I was responding
: to the expressed opinion that there was something wrong with consulting
: polls at all.
: 

I've heard of a republic, for sure.  But why do we need a republic?  Or 
more appropriately, why DID we need a republic?  Let's send paul revere
from town to town and get him to poll everyone on everything, right?
More like it is that we do NOW have the ability to vote on public agenda
every year and get complete vote tally within a few hours...

:    Mike Jones  |  AIX/ESA Development  |  mjones@donald.aix.kingston.ibm.com
: 
: Plaese porrf raed.
: 	-- Prof. Michael O'Longhlin, S.U.N.Y. Purchase