Do you think some new politicians try to make changes, but are discouraged by the already solidified system?

Too tired to write at length but yes, I do. I think Obama thought he was going to do things differently; as did possibly the new Republicans.

Yes, but I don’t think there are very many Jefferson Smiths going to Washington these days.

They get elected to make change so they damn well better try. But it’s hard when you are in a minority.

The problem is that people get elected and think they have a mandate from the whole country. Obama sure as hell didn’t have any Republican good will, and got almost immediately blamed for the problems of the economy

The Tea Partiers got elected last year last year and though they had everyone behind them. But they didn’t even have the real support of their own party; they’d forced out the mainstream Republicans to the point they were not going to get support from the leadership; they were pwned by Mitchell and Boehner to stir things up but weren’t allowed to do much more than agitate the Dems.

The last one with a huge mandate was Reagan, which is why he was able to push things through. Part of that was Congress was not as bitterly partisan.

Yes! And what a game it is. It’s nothing like the new guy at work though as that is on such a lower playing field. Politicians soon find out that the people of the world are all just puppets at the hands of those in real power and to stay in the game they suck up and go along with, or are brain-washed into agreeing with the real people in power. Just for one example, we all know there is no need for hunger in the world, but there are starving people and countries in this day and age. Why? Because not one politician will stand up and say lets empty the storehouse(s) of surplus food and feed those who have no food or help fix their land and teach them how to grow their own food.

My words to all politicians….Yeah, “just play the game”. It’s all about greed…get what you can at the expense of the taxpayers, then retire with a great pension and great medical care for your lack of honest service to the people.
Excuse the rant…This is just my humble opinion

Yes.

Of course. The first goal of every politician must be to please his or her constituents. In order to gain jobs or new industries or what have you for their district or state, they have to get the votes of other politicians. To get those votes, they have to agree to support the other politicians in their efforts to please their constituents. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” Thus the system perpetuates the “good ole boy” approach to politics.

Absolutely.

I normally dislike one word answers on Fluther, but here it seems appropriate.

You bet.

Definitely. Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich are good example of this. I think the same thing would happen Ralph Nader or Gary Johnson if they got elected into higher positions. I think that President Obama found that out the hard way as well. If you don’t believe me just look at his grey hair.

Yes definitely.