Politics as Career?

[MarkD]

Just thinking out loud a bit here:

Going back to our founding, most of our politicians were men who'd already made a sucessful life for themselves in their chosen fields before entering politics. Washington and Jefferson had farms, John Adams was a sucessful lawyer as was Lincoln, etc. While they got into politics, that wasn't their original career choice, nor was it their only career even while in office.

Now we have a President-elect who's resume includes "community organizer", sounds like a career politician to me. When did we start electing people who's ambition, from day 1, was to be a politician? I'd rather see someone who'd earned their chops in business, law, the military, etc than someone who'd never done an honest days work in their life.

Maybe part of the problem is that serving as President, Senator, Representative, etc have become full-time jobs. If Congress met for three months a year (unless there was an emergency then they would be called to special session) we'd see more people who are sucessful outside of politics getting involved.

[Fivetoes]

Hmph... My local city council, after the election, proposed raising the pay to get more qualified people in office....

[Steamforger]

The president has a 4 year term, gets paid about 1.6 million in that term, and spends as much as $800 million to get elected (that was Barack Obamas total spend for the two years of the 2008 election, including the DNC portion).

Do these numbers include everything, or just fundraising dollars spent directly in the effort to get elected? When Obamugabe came to MSU, USSS overtook the northern protion of a 5,000 acre campus. Thinking about the advance teams, fuel, travel expenses, cost of MSU's prep for his arrival, cost of appropriating the East Lansing and MSU PD's for a few days, and all the stuff that goes on in support of his visit that most people never think of (USSS made a detailed survey of many of our steam tunnels, for example, and rightly so) I suspect the numbers are much higher.

Now, just a SWAG here, multiply that number by at least 104 appearances (1 per week for 2 years) and I suspect the adjusted numbers are staggering. Multiply it again for the McCain camp and the dollars spent in this endeavor start making me dizzy. Now, throw in all the fringe lunatics like Ron Paul, Nader, The American Socialists and their forgettable candidate, 'Ol Crazy Eyes Cynthia McKinney, and failed candidates that never got off the ground like Huckabee, Thompson, Edwards, and the like.

I would REALLY love to see that number

[mekender]

i like it how they have it here in my city... the council and mayor do not get paid enough to actually live off the office.

[Darrell]

I find it interesting to consider that our last Dem president and the next one are both lawyers (spit), while neither the GOP presidential or vice prez candidate are lawyers. Then again, neither the last Dem or next Dem prez knew their fathers, either. Just sayin'.

[The Quiet Man]

Well, while the sums of money spent when a candidate runs for office is staggering, one must remember that it isn't really their money they are spending...it is not as though if they lose the election they will spend a life in poverty. They are gleefully spending OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY! So, I do agree that candidates are basically buying their office I find it fascinating that they are using other people's money to make that purchase...America! What A Country!

And one more thing...they aren't particularly running for office because it will make them rich. They are running for office for the power, noteriety, and the other perks on the back side of the deal. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, their retirement plan is second to none! What A Country!!!

[NVGdude]

Honestly, I would guess the total direct economic activity of the 2008 presidential election (i.e. that which was spent exclusively and directly for, or by, the candidates and their supporters, and political action committees etc..) is something like 2.5 billion dollars.

Now Chris, you know better than to buy into Keynesian economics. They spent a lot of money, but the economic impact is zero.