I just don’t think term limits are anywhere near the panacea some people seem to think they are. I’ve heard crusty old conservatives mutter “term limits” about politics ever since I can remember. Almost in the same tone I hear some of them say “cull the herd” and “tort reform” these days. It just seems like some mantra to repeat.
And now I see others outside the conservasphere sometimes taking up this mantra. It strikes me as a distraction, if I’m honest. The real problem is money and legalized bribery and I don’t know what term limits would possibly accomplish, other than just having more people with no experience in these roles. There is nothing to say they could not be groomed by the likes of Thiel and just do self-dealing from minute one just because of their age or the number of terms they have had.
I’ve always been baffled by this heroic notion of a magical outsider, brought into politics, and simply by virtue of being an outsider that it would be a good thing. Politician is about the only endeavor where there is this odd wish to have a NON-expert in that position. The term limits mantra often seems to go hand in hand with the pining for the outsider thing. And I’ll just never get it.
Being a politician is like any other field, and requires expertise. I don’t see people pining for term limits on doctors, mechanics, plumbers, businessmen, dentists, etc., and I sure don’t see people signing up to be the first to have their teeth drilled by an outsider, just to “shake things up”.
There are term limits for other positions, why not here? What’s your objection to term limits?
I just don’t think term limits are anywhere near the panacea some people seem to think they are. I’ve heard crusty old conservatives mutter “term limits” about politics ever since I can remember. Almost in the same tone I hear some of them say “cull the herd” and “tort reform” these days. It just seems like some mantra to repeat.
And now I see others outside the conservasphere sometimes taking up this mantra. It strikes me as a distraction, if I’m honest. The real problem is money and legalized bribery and I don’t know what term limits would possibly accomplish, other than just having more people with no experience in these roles. There is nothing to say they could not be groomed by the likes of Thiel and just do self-dealing from minute one just because of their age or the number of terms they have had.
I’ve always been baffled by this heroic notion of a magical outsider, brought into politics, and simply by virtue of being an outsider that it would be a good thing. Politician is about the only endeavor where there is this odd wish to have a NON-expert in that position. The term limits mantra often seems to go hand in hand with the pining for the outsider thing. And I’ll just never get it.
Being a politician is like any other field, and requires expertise. I don’t see people pining for term limits on doctors, mechanics, plumbers, businessmen, dentists, etc., and I sure don’t see people signing up to be the first to have their teeth drilled by an outsider, just to “shake things up”.