[Quikngruvn]

Heh. I didn't realize bashing the US government was a worldwide sport, but I guess I should have....

The key word here is money. Especially in the past decade or so, it has taken more and more money to run a campaign to achieve (or keep) a political office in the US. As the good Baron mentioned, the money's got to come from somewhere-- mainly special-interest Groups, corporate entities, and wealthy individuals, all with their own agendas. Or, "he who has the money makes the rules."

In any US election, more than 90% of incumbents retain their office. Many run without any opposition, while others just have so much more money (from supporters) than any challenger.

'Course, then there is the case of Strom Thurmond, who is practically idolized in the state of South Carolina. He was re-elected to his eighth six-year term in the US Senate at the still-spry age of 94. Thankfully, he will not run for re-election next year, when he's 100 years old-- because he'd get re-elected (around here, it's considered sacrilege to believe that Strom will ever die). The bad thing is, even with the election more than a year away, the winner has all but been declared. Lindsey Graham very quickly got the money and political endorsements to seal the deal, before any challenger could even move to create a campaign war machine.

The point of that diatribe? It just illustrates another aspect of US governement, the "Good Ol' Boy" system. The people already in power, mostly rich white men in their 40's or 50's, decide who gets to join their club. They then have money poured into the candidates' campaigns (often from the national party's funds, but see above for where that cash came from) so that they can bring someone into office who will agree with their ideology. While in office, the Good Ol' Boys each promise to support the others' agenda in exchange for the others' support. National political office is an exclusive club, and you almost have to know the right people to get in.

Remember, this is the same country that elected a professional wrestler to the office of State Governor.

If there was a point to this post, I think it's this: most Americans realize that there are serious problems with the current form of US government, but are either too stupid, too lazy, or too complacent to do anything about it. Still, it beats many alternatives....

Quikngruvn (who honestly considers himself lucky to have been (cue Bruce Springsteen) "Born in the USA")