INCUMBENT ADVANTAGE

One of the most common questions is HOW do these corrupt politicians keep getting re-elected?

Only two out of three eligible voters bother to vote.  80% of those who do vote, confess to voting based on name recognition, party lines, and media exposure prior to an election. Let’s look at how that relates to the party’s support helping an incumbent stay in office.

Name recognition.  If a person is already in office, he/she is pretty much guaranteed to receive the votes of those casting their ballets based on name recognition.

Party line.  If a party decides to support an incumbent, 98% of the time the incumbent will win in the primaries and the incumbent’s name will be on the ballot under that party.  The incumbent will receive the votes of those casting their ballets based on party lines.

Media Exposure. Media exposure is incredibly expensive. If an incumbent is wealthy, he/she will buy media exposure.  If a party supports the incumbent, the party will request that their supporters donate to the incumbent. 

Finally, we have Lobbyists. Lobbyists have confessed it takes millions and years to buy a member of Congress. It is worth the investment due to the rule of Congress where seniority equals authority.  The longer they can keep a bought member in Congress, the more powerful that person becomes. As a result, Lobbyists are more than willing to shovel money into an incumbent's campaign.

Between funding support from the party and funding from Lobbyists, an incumbent typically has 10 to 12 times as much money as a challenger. AND, money buys media exposure during campaigning!

Look at the above.

The incumbent received 80% of the votes based on these three issues.

In an ideal world adding term limits to Congress would not be necessary. But, we don't live in an ideal world. We live in a world where the above three issues result in a re-election rate over 90% regardless of an incumbent's actions or moral character.