We Still Have a Democracy – Let’s use it

A year ago, I wrote an article suggesting that we should replace politicians who are not accomplishing legislation in support of their constituents.  The most recent polling data from November 2021 puts the Congressional approval rating at 20%.  Congress achieved an approval rating in March 2021 of 36%, which just happened to coincide with passage of the American Rescue Plan that included a $1400 check to most Americans.  There cannot be a more blatant example of buying votes.

Otherwise, the Congressional approval rating is chronically in the 20 percent range.  This immediately begs the question:  Why do we keep sending the same politicians back to Washington?  The same thing can be argued for politicians at the state and local level.  How do 90% of incumbents get re-elected, even when they are accomplishing almost nothing that benefits their constituents?

I also wrote an article last year on Money in Politics.  It is not just a coincidence that the increased money in politics in the last 40 years is associated with increasing dysfunction in the legislative process.   Most money comes from wealthy individuals and corporations who get unrestricted access to politicians that results in legislation supporting their special interests.  Even more important for these wealthy donors, they prevent legislation that would have a negative impact on their special interests.  Don’t you wonder why we have all these complaints about the social media and internet service providers, and yet Congress does nothing?  What about the financial industry, the fossil fuel industry, and gun manufacturers?

At the same time, politicians know that in our democracy, they still have to win elections where every vote counts the same.  Today’s political campaigns are media driven and very expensive.  The big money donations are not enough, and politicians do have to be careful that they are not entirely funded by wealthy donors. Some even try to say that they do not accept big money donations, but they all do.  Big money donations are now often laundered through Political Action Committees and other shell organizations.  

Politicians at the federal, state, and now even the local level, found that they can not only communicate campaign messages through media, but they can also use media to solicit individual donations.  Then they discovered that campaign messages communicating positions on political issues are not very interesting and don’t drive donations.  In addition, boring political positions do not generate shares and views on social media.   Politicians have learned that posting extremist positions and outrageous conspiracy theories drive media traffic and then donations.  

I was struggling to decide what would be the best example of an outrageous, extremist campaign message to mention as an example.  Then I happened to watch the Senate Health Committee hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic, and the exchange between Senator Rand Paul and Dr. Anthony Fauci.  Senator Paul was repeating a charge he has made for the past year – that Dr. Fauci and and Dr. Francis Collins, previous Director of the National Institutes of Health, conspired to discredit other doctors who took the position that the COVID-19 virus was manufactured in a Chinese laboratory.   Does it really matter where the virus actually originated?  No.  Does it matter that Dr. Fauci has denied the accusation for a year? No.  Does it matter that there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus originated in a Chinese laboratory? No.  Does it matter that Dr. Fauci has consistently tried to communicate apolitical scientific information through his position as advisor to the President? No.

What matters is that in June of 2021 Rand Paul tweeted that Dr. Fauci should be fired.  The Tweet included a prominent link to contribute to the Rand Paul campaign.  Since then, #FireFauci has gone viral and is used by Rand Paul on his campaign website, again, with a prominent DONATE link.  Other than calling for Dr. Fauci to be fired, the allegations of a conspiracy to cover up a Chinese laboratory link to the origin of the COVID-19 virus don’t create a legislative solution to the pandemic.  Which, one would think, would be the purpose of a Senate hearing.  On the other hand, the allegations have resulted in death threats to Dr. Fauci and his family, another effect of message amplification through social media.

So, what do we do as voters?  I also wrote last year that if we are not happy with the job our elected officials are doing, we need to vote them out of office.  Voters have the ability to impose term limits simply by voting against incumbents.  I personally will have a very difficult time voting for Republican candidates, as the Republican party has become so extremist and dysfunctional.  At the same time, the political strategy to use extremist positions to generate campaign donations and influence votes is also found in the Democratic party.  If you feel the need to support the Republican party, you have to participate in the primary elections.  And you will have to take the time to find out about the candidates in the primary election.  I don’t think it is helpful to elect representatives like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene.  Again, measure what they have actually accomplished on behalf of their constituents, not what extremist rhetoric they have communicated.

The Texas 2022 primary election day is March 1.  Early voting begins February 14.  And since new Texas law makes it more difficult to vote by mail, take advantage of in-person early voting.