@Eridanos:
@cteavin:
I think we need fewer career politicians. I also think we need people in charge who run on qualifications and not personality.
I fail to understand this. Aren't career politicians those who study politics and hence have the qualifications? Asking because in my country most of the new 'politicians' know zip about politics or economics, they're mostly celebrities or sons/daughters of politicians (but didn't study politics themselves)
That is one side to career politicians, that some have studied politics formally. The problem is that you get people in office who are trying to protect their jobs rather than do what's right or what they promised. One way to do keep their jobs is to build alliances with special interest groups and their lobbyists. Ask the NRA has that works for them.
A non-career politician might get into public office to effect some changes, like promote healthcare or fix the tax problem. They can make unpopular decisions because they're not looking to hold the office for thirty years. To that, incumbents have a higher chance of winning simply because their name is known, not because they have better ideas. A body of politicians that rotate in and out of public service engages more people to become active in politics, imho.
