Are politicians a “scurvy lot?”

From Insideriowa.com political blog. used with permission.

On June 14, 2009 in the Boston Sunday Globe Jeff Jacoby wrote an excellent column on Massachusetts corrupt politics “Bay State's low standards.” The opinion piece listed some of the current failures of the legislature including “… spending the state into near-insolvency, … passing the largest tax hikes in state history [including a 25% increase in sales tax], … gutting initiatives passed at the ballot box, … marching in lockstep behind corrupt legislative leaders, … stuffing the public payroll with their relatives.”

Jacoby begins his piece with a stunning flashback into history.

THAT Massachusetts lawmakers are a scurvy lot is not exactly breaking news. In his notes on the Constitutional Convention in 1787, James Madison records the comments of Elbridge Gerry, a Massachusetts delegate and future governor, on the caliber of Bay State politicians:

"In Massachusetts the worst men get into the Legislature," Gerry told the convention, and "several members of that body had lately been convicted of infamous crimes." The State House was a place where "men of indigence, ignorance, and baseness spare no pains, however dirty, to carry their point."

Gerry, by the way, is associated with the creation of “politically” shaped districts for legislative elections to benefit your party. These came to be known as “Gerrymander” districts because one of them had the rough shape of a salamander to which an observer noted it should be called a Gerrymander instead.

Jacoby also makes an excellent point, the danger of incumbency. We all know that most politicians are reelected at the rate of 98% in some years. He writes that,

“Gerry's point was that democracy is no guarantee of good government, since voters often elect meritless hacks. But even he might have marveled at the willingness of Massachusetts voters in our day to keep voting the bums in instead of throwing them out. Year in, year out, election after election, the overwhelming majority of state legislators are reelected, often without even the formality of a challenge.”

I have NEVER understood nor accepted the fact that in the United States we allow (better said, the political parties allow) uncontested elections. In Cuba or North Korea that is expected. In Iowa or Massachusetts we should strive for “100% Competition” in our elections. Every house and state Senate district has at least two people – one Democrat and one Republican – who would merit candidacy to represent their neighbors.

If I had a lot of money I’d set up an endowment and fund the “100% Solution” project to identify, recruit, train and give some campaign advice and seed money to worthy citizens so that we never again have elections where there is only one candidate. Barring that, I believe that at the very least the two major parties should do so immediately.

On the other hand, uncontested elections would be the perfect venue for third parties such as the Green or Libertarian party to field candidates. Unchallenged incumbents are not used to raising money, organizing voter turnout, or campaigning. Therefore they should be easy picking’ for a challenger who is smart, connected to the community, and hard working.

Besides, it is not healthy to have the “monoculture” of just two political parties. In every other democracy in the world there are three or four parties that actually make a difference, have members elected to legislatures, and sometimes offer the most innovative alternative ideas to policy problems.

At least we have frequent scandals that topple or mortally wound politicians and make room for new blood. Nevada Senator John Ensign’s (R-Nevada) affair with a staffer is the most recent. Ensign is a member of the Promise Keepers, a Christian organization devoted to cultivating “men of integrity”— so this scandal is especially juicy.

It gets even better. According to Jim Rutenberg in the June 19, 2009 New York Times,
“A spokesman for Senator John Ensign said … that the husband of the former staff member with whom the senator admitted having an affair … had made demands for money through his lawyer. … [The husband], Doug Hampton, had demanded cash from the senator after learning of Mr. Ensign’s relationship with his wife, Cindy Hampton. Both Hamptons, and even their son Brandon, had worked at the Senate and political offices of Mr. Ensign…”

Other recent notable fiasco’s include former US Senator Larry Craig’s (R-Idaho) anti-gay policies, which ended up making him look ridiculous and hypocritical for [possibly] being gay when he played “footsie” with the undercover cop at the Minneapolis airport. The dethroned incumbent list goes on with prostitute problems for David Vitter (R-Louisiana) who in July 2007 was identified as a client of "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey, and Eliot Spitzer who in 2008 was forced to resign as Governor or New York because the Times revealed that he had patronized a prostitution service called Emperors Club VIP and consorted with “Kristen” 22 year old Ashley Dupré who was paid $4,300 in cash including $1,100 as a deposit with the agency toward future services.

A cancer-stricken wife and a campaign bimbo spelled the end of John Edwards (not an incumbent but a real hot prospect for president). Kinky, explicit text messages to young, underage boy pages unseated Congressman Mark Foley (R-Florida).

So, while politicians have a huge incumbency advantage, their peccadilloes often open spaces for fresh faces and new leadership. And, while they all seem to be hard at work, unfortunately it is often not related to their service to their constituency but more closely related to other “service.”

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/06/14/bay_states_low_standards/ For Jacoby’s full article on Mass politicians.

Steffen Schmidt is University Professor of Political Science at Iowa State University and Political Editor of InsiderIowa.com. His book American Government and Politics Today, 2009-2010, (Cengage) is in its 17th edition.