# Problem with US Politics = Politicians? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 28, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-us-politics-politicians/362550 "2006-06-28T21:48:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-us-politics-politicians/362550/61 "2006-07-03T08:08:51Z")
> [@](#): > > But since you have no interest in exploring the reasons voting behavior is so poor it seems there is no point in further discussion. Before you go, let me ask you this. You seem to believe that the voters have minimal control of their voting choices and essentially vote for whomever they’re told to. So here’s my question: are you genuinely interested in freeing these voters to make their own individual choices or are you just regretting the fact that you’re not the person telling them how to vote? ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-us-politics-politicians/362550/62 "2006-07-03T14:08:06Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > So here’s my question: are you genuinely interested in freeing these voters to make their own individual choices or are you just regretting the fact that you’re not the person telling them how to vote? The former. I am the one, after all, who argues that the courts shouldn’t have overturned Brown v the Board of Education and instead left the question to the legislative branches. Of course I am against discrimination in education but I don’t believe the courts should be usurping the prerogatives of the elected legislatures. Even when the legislatures fail to rectify a traditional, but monsterous, practice. ## But really, what difference does it make to the question at hand? My feelings don’t affect your shallow observation. Voters still elect poor candidates and obviously must be blamed for that. I suppose you also blame kidnap victims of opportunity as well for their plight. After all, it is indisputably true that if they had chosen not to be in the wrong place at the wrong time they wouldn’t have been snatched. That’s not a world I would chose to live in. A life unexamined isn’t worth living. Just my 2sense ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-us-politics-politicians/362550/63 "2006-07-03T17:23:19Z")
> [@](#): > > I suppose you also blame kidnap victims of opportunity as well for their plight. No, in keeping with the same principles I’ve had to repeat several times in this thread, I blame kidnappers for kidnapping. > [@](#): > > Voters still elect poor candidates and obviously must be blamed for that. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? We’ve finally gotten to the real problems. Do a majority of voters choose bad candidates? Why do a majority of voters choose bad candidates? How can we make a majority of voters choose better candidates? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-us-politics-politicians/362550/64 "2006-07-03T17:57:13Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > How can we make a majority of voters choose better candidates? Looking around the world, holding them at gunpoint seems to be a popular approach. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-us-politics-politicians/362550/65 "2006-07-03T19:07:28Z")
Can anyone survive running against the Pharm Block, Agribiz, Energy ,and big retail. They pick the candidates. The dont give millions they invest it in power of their chosing. money money money money money .We vote for who they allow to run and who they allow to get media time. The parties are looking more alike as time goes by. The concentration of the media makes the normal channels available to the hand picked. This election may be our last crack at it. The internet is going to be controlled next. We will be screwed and owned. ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-us-politics-politicians/362550/66 "2006-07-04T17:18:17Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? We’ve finally gotten to the real problems. > > Do a majority of voters choose bad candidates? > Why do a majority of voters choose bad candidates? > How can we make a majority of voters choose better candidates? ## I would say that, yes, it was hard. But now that you have finally caught up, do you propose any answers to your questions? Just my 2sense [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-us-politics-politicians/362550.md?page=3)