Einstein and Insanity

What was it Albert Einstein said about insanity?  It's doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

It seems to me that's what American voters do at election time.  They vote the same people or others of the same ilk into office.  Note how many years politicians in DC have been there.  Dingell is wrapping up his 59th year and Levin his 36th.  Conyers has been there more than 50 years.  And down the line......  In Michigan, by a two-to-one margin, people say they favor term-limits.  Apparently they don't realize they hold "term-limits" in their hands; they can vote against incumbents.  But they don't.  And, although state-wide offices have been term-limited by law for some time now, voters don't seem to understand how that works. State office-holders are term-limited, but then run for a different office--and voters oblige by voting for them in their new candidacies.  So, we want term-limits, ostensibly to keep the same people from running government.  But we turn around and send the same people back, only in different positions.  Huh??????

Einstein's definition nailed it.

I continue to get a kick out of US Senate candidate Gary Peters' ads.  In one, he claims to be quite frugal, at least around his household.  He doesn't believe "in spending money we don't have."  Ha Ha Ha!  Name one Democrat or even an Establishment Republican who doesn't "spend money we don't have" in Washington or Lansing.  Oh, it's not their money.  I guess that's different.

I was also surprised, but not surprised by the Det News endorsement of Gary Peters.  First, Peters stands for just about everything the News editorial board opposes.  How can the newspaper urge people to vote for the guy?  It's as if the rotten Terry Lynn Land campaign has swayed them.  Yep, she's shown a very incompetent campaign.  I agree she's not at all a good candidate, although I think she is/was a reluctant one.  (And isn't there at least something noble about "taking one for the team," when no other top Republicans would run for the office?)  But do campaigns and performance in office translate congruently?  I really don't think so.  Look at all the great campaigners who turned out rotten in office.  (OK, you don't have to look too far.  Start with the President.)

Of course, the Free Press endorsed Rick Snyder for governor.  It was a surprise, if quite lukewarm.  I get a big kick out of the Democrat ad complaining about Snyder signing the bill that taxed previously un-taxed pensions.  Oh the teachers are griping and grousing about having to pay taxes on their retirement incomes.  But I don't remember them griping and grousing any time the Democrats raised taxes while the teachers were working.  Besides, if they are really Democrats, they should love paying taxes.  Taxes build bigger government with greater spending and that's the solution to every problem:  throw money at it.  Ah, the hypocrisy of it all.