From an earlier poster "I don't know how to deal with the fact that too many politicians become co-opted once they become comfortable in Washington, or the state or local governments".
It does seem that they get a taste of the gravy train and become addicted to the feed-bag. "Something" definitely gets to them. Either they were lying and deceiving while campaigning, or they find out something from their new vista that completely changes their perspective. Then it is dog-eat-dog when their elite positions are threatened. In another time, this behavior would be easily and readily written off as "he's been bought", or "he's in somebody's pocket", or "he's compromised his integrity". Today we use different terms. But the overall trend, for many years now, has turned America the beautiful into a very, very ugly and ungodly place.
Really, all I wanted to say is that I have found this thread to be a very helpful FR101 for any newbie struggling with the choice of the lesser of two evils. My pattern to date has been to cast my vote against someone. I will endeavor to rethink that.
It is important to understand that any office past city council of a small to medium city is a full time position even if the pay does not warrant that.
As such we are going to have a group of people that see this as a vocation to be pursued and to become skilled at attaining and holding. Such makes them functionaries and office-seekers, not statesmen. Place holders and not representatives as the voter base changes and the pols don’t. I’ve met so called Tea Party staffers that are in-bred and cross connected to the Democrat staff they are replacing — same permanent party job people just going in and out of Lobbying positions just based upon who got elected.
As functionaries they pay attention to the loud and the monied before they pay attention to any platform or vestigial principles.
And this is the electorates fault as we have let all levels of government get to big and not kept it split into many small divisions.