I will say both, but will attribute the lack of political decorum on Newt Gingrich.

His "Contract for America" was a lot of good sounding stuff then ended up being an awful agenda for our country. President Clinton had some obvious flaws, but he presided over a relatively bi-partisan agenda all things considered and the country prospered because of it.

However, the money in politics, particularly Citizens United and the dark money PACs have completely corrupted the system.

Fix gerrymandering. There is no reason a commission at each state with computer models can't make this a relatively easy process.

Figure out some way of balancing the Electoral College issue - there is no reason a rep from Wyoming represents far fewer people than a rep from NY or CA. The number of Congressmen need not be a fixed number. Simply say each congressman shall represent 500,000 (or pick a number) people and if that means CA and NY get a lot more, then so be it. Do something in your state to attract more people and you too can get more congressional representation. I am not sure what to do about the Senate side of the equation. Statehood for DC and PR would be a start, I suppose.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we seriously need to get these career politicians out of Congress. Tired of seeing same people doing awful job and getting paid handsomely. Furthermore, getting better benefits than most people..... TIRED OF THIS blood sucking LEACHES

well...people are the ones electing them. And if they elect them for a few terms they become "career politicians". Inevitable because no one is born a career politician. Term limits maybe one answer but it has to be passed by these same people to term limit themselves. Why would they do it? Its not gonna happen.

stop supporting any of them. Demand change as the citizens of this country.

So stop voting at all? It’s not practical. How do you demand change? How do you stop supporting them? Democracy demands someone has to be voted to represent the people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious to see different perspective on this. I am sure some will say it is already happening.

Democrats abandoned their core constituency and imported millions of legal and illegal workers. They don’t care if low skilled workers get replaced or your kids can’t find jobs. Thei elites are doing fine. Republicans have always screwed workers.

It is Hillary that had this election if only she had stopped supporting more and more immigration!!!!!!

Democrats need a new generation of leaders focused on American workers.

This is a lie that Democrats want more immigration. It is the republicans who don’t want to make e-verify mandatory coz the GOP business groups and chamber of commerce groups can continue to cheat by using illegal labor pool.

Anonymous wrote:Just curious to see different perspective on this. I am sure some will say it is already happening.

Democrats abandoned their core constituency and imported millions of legal and illegal workers. They don’t care if low skilled workers get replaced or your kids can’t find jobs. Thei elites are doing fine. Republicans have always screwed workers.

It is Hillary that had this election if only she had stopped supporting more and more immigration!!!!!!

Democrats need a new generation of leaders focused on American workers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both. Although Republicans have taken a commanding lead in the race.

-Democrat

This is now I feel. Not anywhere near as bad at local level though. Democrats at least.

I'm the PP. I was thinking about this question last night. I feel like my #1 issue with the democrats is that they have used the R's behavior as an excuse to either stagnate or divide. Like I hate Trump, I really do, but we need a platform that is something more than "oahdkashfkjdshfdsjkfh do you see this guy?????????????????" Because as they have proven over time 'that guy' just changes, once it was McConnell, it was Boehner for a long time. Other people's bad behavior should not be an excuse to be intellectually lazy about putting a solid political agenda in place.

THIS is why middle america feels forgotten, because republicans say they care and then stab them in the back giving tax breaks to the rich while democrats just don't talk to them at all. We need to be focused on winning people over by policies that effect their lives not just by saying, 'you don't want to be a racist loser who supports TRUMP RIGHT?'

+1

This is strangely thoughtful for this board.

The Democrats have a shtick based on claiming to be better than the horrible, awful Republicans. It sounds to me a lot like the classic 'nice guys' routine, those who think they've figured how awful 'the other guys' are and then think that women are then obligated to get with them.

Democrats: get over yourselves and work on earning the trust of a larger part of the population. Republicans rule by getting a minority very, very worked up. Find ways to get substantially larger majorities and watch the Republicans become yesterday's news. And if you're struggling here's a hint: stop thinking your ideas and especially your donors' comforts are sacrosanct!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we seriously need to get these career politicians out of Congress. Tired of seeing same people doing awful job and getting paid handsomely. Furthermore, getting better benefits than most people..... TIRED OF THIS blood sucking LEACHES

well...people are the ones electing them. And if they elect them for a few terms they become "career politicians". Inevitable because no one is born a career politician. Term limits maybe one answer but it has to be passed by these same people to term limit themselves. Why would they do it? Its not gonna happen.

stop supporting any of them. Demand change as the citizens of this country.

Anonymous wrote:we seriously need to get these career politicians out of Congress. Tired of seeing same people doing awful job and getting paid handsomely. Furthermore, getting better benefits than most people..... TIRED OF THIS blood sucking LEACHES

well...people are the ones electing them. And if they elect them for a few terms they become "career politicians". Inevitable because no one is born a career politician. Term limits maybe one answer but it has to be passed by these same people to term limit themselves. Why would they do it? Its not gonna happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if we passed draconian campaign finance reform, it would force politicians to clean up.

We also need term limits. No one should be in Congress for more than 10 years, maybe 12 for senators. Unlimited terms lead to corruption and wishy-washy politicians and vulnerability to foreign influence.

We already have term limits. They're called elections.

Instituting mandatory term limits is a profoundly anti-democratic approach to a problem that has more to do with gerrymandering and weak campaign finance rules than simple longevity in office.

B.S. After FDR won 4 presidential elections the Congress imposed term limits on the Presidency. But not on themselves.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if we passed draconian campaign finance reform, it would force politicians to clean up.

We also need term limits. No one should be in Congress for more than 10 years, maybe 12 for senators. Unlimited terms lead to corruption and wishy-washy politicians and vulnerability to foreign influence.

But Congress makes the laws. Interestingly, they limited the President to 2 terms, but refuse to limit their own terms. I remember the guy wo beat Tom Foley in Washington State saying he'd stay ten years, then when the time was up he changed his mind

Sorry, I got that slightly wrong. George Nethercutt said he's only stay for three terms, then when his three terms were up he ran twice again and won.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if we passed draconian campaign finance reform, it would force politicians to clean up.

We also need term limits. No one should be in Congress for more than 10 years, maybe 12 for senators. Unlimited terms lead to corruption and wishy-washy politicians and vulnerability to foreign influence.

We already have term limits. They're called elections.

Instituting mandatory term limits is a profoundly anti-democratic approach to a problem that has more to do with gerrymandering and weak campaign finance rules than simple longevity in office.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if we passed draconian campaign finance reform, it would force politicians to clean up.

We also need term limits. No one should be in Congress for more than 10 years, maybe 12 for senators. Unlimited terms lead to corruption and wishy-washy politicians and vulnerability to foreign influence.

But Congress makes the laws. Interestingly, they limited the President to 2 terms, but refuse to limit their own terms. I remember the guy wo beat Tom Foley in Washington State saying he'd stay ten years, then when the time was up he changed his mind

Anonymous wrote:I think if we passed draconian campaign finance reform, it would force politicians to clean up.

We also need term limits. No one should be in Congress for more than 10 years, maybe 12 for senators. Unlimited terms lead to corruption and wishy-washy politicians and vulnerability to foreign influence.

At this point, you and I and everyone who cares about preserving democracy needs to vote for Democrats in the midterms in November. This is the most significant election of our lives.

It doesn’t matter if you hate Nancy Pelosi or Chuck Schumer or think Democrats are scum. The truth is that most politicians are scum, but right now the Democrats are the only party who will impeach our president and stop the unceasing raiding of our public resources by unethical and crooked leaders now in power.

I think they all are scum, but the GOP is owned by Russia and has zero morality or patriotism, which is sad and depressing. Our only hope of saving our democracy right now is with the Democrats, imperfect as they are. No matter what party you belong to, please vote with your conscience and choose a Democrat in the midterms. We must fix this disaster in DC, and they are our best hope of doing so right now.

Anonymous wrote:we seriously need to get these career politicians out of Congress. Tired of seeing same people doing awful job and getting paid handsomely. Furthermore, getting better benefits than most people..... TIRED OF THIS blood sucking LEACHES

We actually have the technology for direct democracy now, but there is no chance in hell that established interests would ever let that happen.

The swiss have a direct democracy as well, but that goes back a long long way. I prefer the swiss milita system as well.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/07/switzerland-direct-democracy-explained/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both. Although Republicans have taken a commanding lead in the race.

-Democrat

This is now I feel. Not anywhere near as bad at local level though. Democrats at least.

I'm the PP. I was thinking about this question last night. I feel like my #1 issue with the democrats is that they have used the R's behavior as an excuse to either stagnate or divide. Like I hate Trump, I really do, but we need a platform that is something more than "oahdkashfkjdshfdsjkfh do you see this guy?????????????????" Because as they have proven over time 'that guy' just changes, once it was McConnell, it was Boehner for a long time. Other people's bad behavior should not be an excuse to be intellectually lazy about putting a solid political agenda in place.

THIS is why middle america feels forgotten, because republicans say they care and then stab them in the back giving tax breaks to the rich while democrats just don't talk to them at all. We need to be focused on winning people over by policies that effect their lives not just by saying, 'you don't want to be a racist loser who supports TRUMP RIGHT?'