Wots a deal?
There is an entire real world thing going on while the theater of politics goes on in Washington. The events of this week saw the House of Representatives vote on expelling George Santos. Fortunately for him, the vote failed. The vote failed largely because there was a block of Democrats that voted against the measure. Even if it had succeeded I am sure he would have busted out the “well, my name is not George Santos. It is actually Jethro Simpson so I can stay as long as I want.”
The idea is that since he has not been convicted of anything or levied a successful ethics penalty in the House of Representatives then voting for his removal would be a dangerous precedent. That kind of thinking has the added benefit of foresight and willful blindness all at the same time. Yes, such a move could be used in the future to expel a member that should not be expelled. However, I don’t think a single person would come out and vouch for this guy whatever his name may be.
If you were to shoot the 30+ Democrats would truth serum I am sure a part of them wanted to keep Santos around. Santos is a living, breathing reminder of the GOP’s slide into moral bankruptcy. You can fund raise off of that. You can easily defeat him as over 70 percent of Republicans in his district want him to resign. Resignation would be a rare sign of propriety for someone that we can’t even credibly name at this point. If he were to resign now you could get a fresh Republican on the ballot and possibly retain the seat. Obstinance is a pure act of selfishness on Santos’ part. Of course, he has gotten through life with a kind of bluster that conmen frequently exhibit. Maybe he just assumes it will all work out as it always has.
The whole spectacle points to two very troubling issues in our politics. In the short term, we are incapable of governing when so many people within our government or morally and intellectually useless. We have a government shutdown looming mid-month. We have crises in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe. We have the economy, environment, and so many other alarming situations brewing and we can’t even get the mechanisms of government to function.
The wider or more troubling issue is the nature of our elections themselves. No, this isn’t about voter fraud. That’s yet another made up issue to get the rubes riled up over phantoms of the opera. The issue is who these people are voting for. It’s one thing to vote for an idiot like Tommy Tuberville. That is alarming by itself, but when you have people like Santos and Lauren Boebert that can’t even perform the basic tasks of a member of Congress you have to wonder what in the hell people are looking at.
There is a very troubling undercurrent happening when you are telling voters we have to immediately expel the person YOU just voted for. You are essentially saying that they were never fit in the first place. Well, that brings two immediate questions to the forefront. First, how in the holy hell did they get on the ballot? Secondly, once they are there shouldn’t a majority of the people be able to identify a crook or half-wit when they see one?
Well hells bells Nick, when you say it like that, it’s hard to get it to make sense.
1But if you take into account the view that all government is evil and by God everybody needs to believe it.
And then get just the perfect left eye/right eye squint ratio
Going it all comes clear.
Doesn’t smell too good.
But that’s another issue.
To answer your question, Nick: No, because the rethugs have been so successful in gutting education for years, and not enough folks even know the basics of our governmental rules and regs.
2Perhaps part of the puzzle is a very small number, including “highly motivated” people, drive who and what is on the ballot and most people ignore the process. In Texas, for example, so far ~95% of registered voters are not bothering to vote in the November election.
“There are more than 17.7 million people registered to vote in Texas. After 11 days of early voting, fewer than 970,000 ballots have been cast, for a statewide turnout of 5.45%.”
https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/november-2023-turnout-tracker/
3It wasn’t all that long ago that I discovered that the majority of folks, even the ones who went to school and actually had to learn about our government, are afraid of it, as if all the folks in D.C., whoever they were or whatever they did were scary and would with no warning eat all of us for breakfast. They didn’t want to hear how a law was passed or how people got to be voted into a House or Senate Seat. It was all EVIL. Hence, the advent of tRump, “drain the swamp” and “only I can do it”. Fearful people are likely to be the actual source of their own fear. I know that sounds redundant, but think about. Also, they will deliberately overlook a legislator like Pat Leahy. They look at his record and go blank. But someone like Mike Johnson? Wow! The voters are all too often their own worst enemy.
4Over the last several years, a person’s character, education, experience, dedication, etc., etc. has become of no consequence when someone runs to be a congress critter. One party is very much who I’m talking about. Doing what’s right for constituents doesn’t matter. Doing anything for constituents is rare in that party. What matters is what they can do for their donors and special interests. Staying a congress critter is all they care about. Constituents are not important. Raising money through radical ideology is everything. Trumpf was and is the perfect leader for them- a crook, a criminal, a conman, a fraud and a malignant narcissist.
5The Rethugs wanted the expulsion of Santos NOW so voters would have a chance to forget about him before the next round of elections. the Dems who voted against it want Due Process first, to follow the congressional rules and precedent. And THEN he can be expelled at just the worst time for the GQP. I actually think, for once, the Dems were thinking clearly and working together.
6In that same line of how???? they get in or stay in Rep. B. Balint of Vermont nailed MTG. There is an 11 + minutes of her recounting all the BS she has done in the last 6 years on youtube. I’m not techie enough to share the link. So powerful to hear and good to know that even in it comes to naught that it’s out there. Now if Santos runs again and winswe can be certain that only the ignorant are voting in his district. I’m kinds sure about that in Empty’s case.
7