Separation of church and state?

[Syrup Beaver]

And politicians dont?

Politicians elected by the groups of retarded people are worse.

REPEAL THE 17th AMENDMENT!!!!

 

[Pandora]

Politicians elected by the groups of retarded people are worse.

REPEAL THE 17th AMENDMENT!!!!

I wish! Too bad it will never happen.

 

[fly]

Politicians elected by the groups of retarded people are worse.

REPEAL THE 17th AMENDMENT!!!!

Amen.

 

[Galen]

Public officials are not elected to do exactly what the polls say. If that were the case, then we could just eliminate the government and all vote on issues by a show of hands. Minorly convenient, but effective.

Government officials are elected in order to make decisions on our behalf. It's far from uncommon for someone to vote for a law, then realize that it was a mistake. The general public is notoriously uninformed and short-sighted. It is a politician's job to avoid being either of those. Needless to say they don't always succeed, but that's why we elect people to office.

The public should have some influence on a leader, rather than little to none. It appears the only people GWB listens to is his advisors, and we all know how well informed they are.

I am not saying knee-jerk response. But a leader should have some idea what his electorate is feeling, and act based on that. I mean, you honestly think GWB is going to listen to the public on the topic of abortion? No, of course not. He'll listen to his equally-dimwitted advisors before he ever considers a referendum or the like.

 

[Fat Burger]

The public should have some influence on a leader, rather than little to none. It appears the only people GWB listens to is his advisors, and we all know how well informed they are.

I agree, but I think that there are definitely times when the president (or whoever) needs to do what they think is right).
How many US citizens would have voted to use nuclear weapons against Japan at the end of WWII? But how many lives were actually saved (on both sides) because of that decision? On the vast majority of issues, the general public is uninformed, and acts based on face value; what sounds good to them.

 

[Galen]

I agree, but I think that there are definitely times when the president (or whoever) needs to do what they think is right).
How many US citizens would have voted to use nuclear weapons against Japan at the end of WWII? But how many lives were actually saved (on both sides) because of that decision? On the vast majority of issues, the general public is uninformed, and acts based on face value; what sounds good to them.

I agree with that, that's how a representitive democracy works or is meant to work anyway. About the general public, perhaps they could build an opinion based on that of a certain 24 hour news channel which appears to be saying exactly the same thing as the white house. Everyone else seems to be doing it.