it is time yet for a draft?

[guyton]

And I don't mean military, I mean for national political office.

I'm getting really tired of these egomaniacs (of both parties) running for office and thinking that they are so much better than the average (informed) voter.

It's not just Weiner and Edwards and Clinton and Palin and Kennedy and Bohner and Craig and Vitter and ... the list is endless.

It's been said many times by many others, but anyone who seriously thinks they desire and deserve to be President is mentally ill. And I'd include any national elected office along with the presidency.

We need a better system. This isn't just entertainment.

Sheesh.

[razorman]

1. We have certainly strayed far from the founders' ideal of a "citizen-legislator".

The idea that congress would be filled by average folks who serve temporarily, then go back home to their jobs, seems ludicrous now. This long ago became a system of career politicians, who are only out for themselves. It is not specific to one party,either. I do not know if a draft would be the solution, though. Not sure what can be done. Just vote.

[guyton]

2. policies, not personalities

Yeah, but we've got to do *something* to get away from this era of personality cults.

The more decades I observe "career politicians" the less I like what's getting offered up.

[originalpckelly]

9. This idea of yours is probably not original...

I will do more reading about anyone who has proposed it in the past. Perhaps it has come to be time for this system to rise.

[originalpckelly]

6. The problem is that only the sickest freaks among us are drawn to power...

in such a way to actually obtain it. That's the problem.

I remind you that we already do this in jury selection. Perhaps it really is time to consider at least a hybrid system, where there are some citizen legislators and some average people.

[Scuba]

3. Selecting legislators by random lottery would provide better results than we get now. n/t

[guyton]

4. and they might actually work for the people

instead of spending their entire term positioning to try and get re-elected.

[originalpckelly]

7. I'm glad to see that this is an idea at least someone can get behind.

If we are terribly afraid of doing this altogether, we could experiment and create a hybrid system of career politicians and citizen legislators.

[originalpckelly]

5. Precisely.

This is a wonderful idea.

While we shouldn't completely turn ourselves over to it, it should be experimented with at the municipal, then county, then state and then finally national level.

I would be very interested to see the results, but it should be done in a methodical way, to establish whether or not this plan of action has any major flaws.

We already do it when it comes to the legal system at the end state, why not start off with it?

I think I couldn't agree more with the mental health of someone who so blindly seeks power. Who thinks their judgment is so good, when they are not an average American.

[guyton]

10. local first ...

the problem with experimenting with this at the local level first is that (I believe) local politicians aren't necessarily certifiable. But once they get to the national level, all connection with reality are usually lost.

[RegieRocker]

8. Busch in a tall glass please.