I know what you mean, but my Rep was Linda Sanchez, whose district also included such conservative hotbeds as Paramount, Lynwood, and Southgate (CA) [I’m being sarcastic], so I felt that she didn’t care about my views, as almost nothing she would be willing to do would get my vote. That goes triple for Sens Boxer and Feinstein. After that, what do I do?
It’s all because we are only in step one of what I claim is going to be the Great North/South Stratification. Southern Democrats have abandoned the Democratic Party in droves, and have used their increasing influence, for better or for worse (mostly worse), in the Republican Party. However, many Northern Republicans have yet to abandon the Republican Party because they are waiting for a return to an older form of the Party that they don’t understand is largely gone. It ain’t coming back. Sure, there are some holdouts, but the fact that their local party officials and politicians are agreeable to their viewpoint is something that merely forestalls the inevitable: recognizing that the old Rockefeller Republican Party has been completely swamped by Southern Pubs.
Consider the issue of former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee. Nationally, Pubs hated him except when it became time to drag him out to prove they were a “big tent” party. A liberal Republican, he was quite popular with the people in general; local Pubs accepted him as the price for living in a fairly liberal state, and Democrats accepted him as, well, not one of us, but hey, close enough. Come last reelection time, though, the Dems had had enough of the National Pubs. They needed a majority in the Senate, so Chafee had to go. If Chafee had switched parties, he would have been welcomed with open arms and likely cruised to reelection. But he didn’t. Yes, I’m aware he is now an independent, but it’s too late. His time has past. Been nice knowing ya, Linc…
Well, if you do nothing, it’s certain you’ll just get more of the same. There’s plenty of sites like Maplight, where you can see who gives campaign contributions to your legislators. If you think that you won’t get anywhere writing to your Kongress Kritter, you could always write to their financial backers and tell them so long as they give money to your Kritter, you won’t buy their products.
Since Paul Wellstone died . . . yeh, pretty much. So it goes.