Why did Rod Blagojevich get 14 years for doing what all politicians do?
Asked by
saint (
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December 7th, 2011
What dillusion creates the notion that politicians are not generally corrupt, narcissistic, ambitious, amoral bozos?
The whole notion of civil politics exists in order to give these creeps a niche where they can go do their dirty work as far removed as possible- somewhere, anywhere but next door to you and me.
The American founders had the good sense to organize a government where the chances of them doing real damage to you and me were minimized.
Occasionally, they get sloppy, and we discover what we already knew, but simply did not want to talk about. They are losers, criminals in a dark suit and red tie, wolves in sheep’s clothing so to speak.
So we, as if we were shocked and surprised, toss them in prison for 14 years, or worse,in order to express our feigned outrage. Like the guy in the movie Casablanca-“I am shocked, SHOCKED, to find gambling in here!”
As if we are surprised to discover what most people know to be true in the first place.
Isn’t that a little disengenuous on “our” part?
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19 Answers
Not all politicians are crooked. Rod Blagojevich was, extremely so.
Right. Blagojevich was just a little more corrupt than the typical politician.
Because he was dumb enough to get caught.
He made sure that he continuously thumbed his nose and those prosecuting him.
Never a good idea in a high profile trial. If he had come to heel like a good dog in the beginning his penalty would not have been anywhere near as severe.
@Blondesjon True. But they all deny, deny, deny. What politician, when they got caught, actually said something like “You got me. I admit that I have feet of clay and I have deceived my constituents. Judge me accordingly.” None. They all act like it simply could not have happened. That you and me are stupid or politically motivated for making a valid accusation. A former President lied under Congressional oath, and walked away.
Why do “we the people” continue to imagine that they do not totally suck. Who is the more amoral?
Not all politicians are corrupt or engage in criminal acts, and for those who are, not all crimes are equal. Blagojevich was convicted of 17 felony counts including several counts of wire fraud, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, soliciting bribes, and conspiracy to solicit and accept bribes, including an effort to pretty much sell the Ilinois senate seat vacated by Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Those crimes are not just a year in the life of your average politician. That is the big time.
He also, as others have mentioned, wouldn’t back down and is an arrogant SOB. That didn’t help him.
You have convinced yourself that all politicians are just as corrupt and engage in just as many criminal acts, all equally a heinous, as Blagojevich did, that they are all equally corrupt and crooked as he is and I doubt that you can be convinced otherwise.
Bill Clinton didn’t appear on a couple of reality television shows. What most politicians do when their hand is caught in the cookie jar is either resign or shut up, put their head down, and weather the storm.
I think they’re all a bunch of self serving douche bags as well but you asked why Rod got it so much worse than his contemporaries.
Because he has great hair. And it’s not really what we know, it’s what we can prove.
@mazingerz88
What we know is an epistemological question. What we can prove (in this case) is a legal question. Two different standards of knowing.
Most politicians use an aide as a buffer against this kind of accusation.
Nobody seems to be arguing against the premise that politicians are amoral assholes. Only that Rod used poor technique. My question still stands.
I believe I did argue against your assumption that politicians are, as whole “amoral assholes” and that all of them are equally as corrupt and all of them routinely engage in similar criminal acts and to the extent that Blagojevich did. You chose to ignore it. You can assume that they are all doing this and that they simply haven’t been caught but you have no evidence to support that, just your own biases, your own opinion on the matter. I have no way to argue against that. You want to argue that that all politicians are routinely committing felonies when you have provided no evidence that that is the case. You have only expressed your opinion.
Fair enough. Which ones are virtous and morally honest?
You’re the one making the assertion, that all politicians are “amoral assholes” and that they are all equally as corrupt as Blagojevich. The burden of proof is yours. Your ability to intentionally shift the burden of proof to me, with such lightning speed and with so few words, with no attempt whatsoever to hide it in some complex construction is pretty extraordinary. If you have an argument to make, to support your assertion then do it, if not, it is not my argument to make, to provide proof or evidence that you are wrong.
He got so much more caught than the others. Not to mention that he was so cynical, he thought he wasn’t doing anything wrong. To this day, he doesn’t understand that anything he did was wrong.
@saint Politicians are just people like you or me. They have all the strengths and weaknesses of all the rest of us humans. This demonization of all politicians and all government is a dangerous thing that, if it keeps expandind in the American meme, will destroy this great nation, reducing it to third world status.
Please provide your evidence that all politicians do exactly what Bloag did. I don’t believe you. And if you do not have evidence, then I might turn the question around and ask why right wingers make charges when they have no evidence to support their charge.
He was tried and convicted. Not every bank robber or murderer gets caught either. Some are more blatant than others, and some are just stupid.
@ETpro Well said
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