Speaking before the Rotary Club today, North Carolina Democratic Governor Bev Perdue said, "I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that." Later in the afternoon, Perdue's office clarified by explaining, "Gov. Perdue was obviously using hyperbole to highlight what we can all agree is a serious problem: Washington politicians who focus on their own election instead of what’s best for the people they serve."
Hyperbole--meaning "exaggeration." As in, "just kidding". But, as the saying goes, no one is ever "just kidding."
We can say this because of an op-ed article, written a couple of weeks ago by Peter Orszag, President Obama's former Budget Director, and now Adjunct Senior Fellow on the Council on Foreign Relations. In it, Orszag suggests that the political gridlock in Washington, these days, is due to increasing voter polarization, and that to stem such polarization, "what we need [...] are ways around our politicians". Among the means he suggests, is the creation of "more independent institutions," such as the Congressional Commissions that are becoming more commonplace. But, in sum, he suggests that "we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic."
"A bit less democratic." Like the suspension of Congressional elections for two years?
Well, so long democracy. It was nice knowing you.
No comments:
Post a Comment