We are seeing this happening all over the country, new faces rising in the polls. There will be many new representatives in 2010. We call them freshmen yet are you a freshman citizen? by Gary Wood
(conservative)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Early primary and convention results from across the country indicate many new people will be taking their Oath of Office after the 2010 elections. Ramping up to the general elections there will be incumbents campaigning on the notion those living within their district will need experience now more than ever before. This is fundamental campaign rhetoric current elected official use as an important reason for keeping them in office. However effective the argument used to be 2010 is showing the strategy may no longer be working.
In the case of Sen. Bennett (R-UT) voters in Utah heard this line of reasoning as far back as April 2009 when former Gov. Mitt Romney first came to help raise money for Bennett's reelection campaign. Even Newt Gingrich tried to convince Utah voters now was not the time to replace Bennett but to keep him since his 18 years of experience would pay off in a more powerful position in the Senate; a position freshmen do not receive.
Based on the rhetoric more power equates to better representation for Utah citizens. Better representation equates to more opportunity for Utah to receive additional levels of federal funds. Utah Republican delegates rejected the rhetoric at their state convention May 8th. Senator Bennett did not make it to the primary which means Utah will add at least one to the freshmen class of 2010 (Mike Lee or Tim Bridgewater). However, the power position Sen. Bennett may have received has been sacrificed for the time being.
In 2008 voters from Utah House District 3 replaced a senior house representative with a freshman. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) used the catch phrase throughout his first term to help him gain recognition. He was among several freshmen CNN followed early in 2009 to see how this new, rookie class was doing. In 2010 Utah Rep. Jim Matheson will be struggling to hold on to his seat in Utah House District 2. This would mean at least two freshmen from one state, leaving Rep. Rob Bishop and Sen. Orin Hatch as the senior representatives among the states' five total at the federal level.
Freshmen representatives are a relatively new phenomenon for the United States. Reasons for people to avoid sending new faces, with fresh ideas, to D.C. are the lack of opportunity this classification has for obtaining critically important senior leadership roles which are doled out by the two major political factions. Third-party freshmen would be the lowest possible position a new representative can hold as neither major faction will select a third-party representative to their power positions. People follow the power positions closely, tuning our ears in carefully when anyone holding a power position speaks. However, people do not vote for these positions nor do they have any real input into who will rise to one of these coveted positions unless they continually return their incumbents to give them more seniority and a better chance of landing a sweet party chosen title.
Take a careful look at the organization chart from the U.S. Senate;
There are 10 political party leadership positions (not to mention the two secretary positions for majority and minority parties) which are considered more powerful than the committee positions. The committee positions offer another 24 seniority placements controlled by the two factions. With over 50 political parties in the United States this organization structure insures the two major factions maintain control inside the senate while also providing reasons for people to send their incumbents back to D.C. no matter how frustrated voters may be with their representative.
Note none of the political party or committee positions are mandated by the Constitution. These have grown out of tradition. This tradition started at the federal level and carries through all states and territories in our times. Many accept these as important, necessary positions since we have never lived without them; the tradition is older than we are. However, it is merely a tradition and can be ended with a unified demand of citizens' voices.
There are a few important questions each voter needs to ask.
Are you a freshman citizen?
Is there a reason party positions should be paid for by tax payers?
Can the legislative branch operate without these positions?
First, simply by electing a new representative the current system punishes citizens by reducing the level of representation, in effect making those voters freshmen citizens. This is not in keeping with the original meaning of a federalist republic operated by representation. It should not matter how long your elected representative has been in office, your voice should be equally represented. This is fundamental for securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. Our government was not originally designed to give more importance or seniority to one citizen over another. Each citizen was to be, and should be equal in representation.
Second, traditional party positions inside the legislative branch are designed to be held by either the Democrat or Republican Party members. There is no position for any third-party or independent representative. The party positions are not selected by citizens but instead they are selected by each of the two parties. With this traditional method of selection does the person holding a political party position represent citizens or parties? Obviously they represent parties. Even though the rhetoric leads a voter to believe they will have a more powerful voice this is not true in application. Only the two major factions, and those funding each faction, have more of a voice. There is no reason tax payers should be funding these positions and their staffs, let all political parties operate outside rather than inside legislative branches.
Finally, the legislative branch can operate without these positions. In fact the operations would be streamlined with less focus on factional parties and more focus on citizens. Rather than dividing between majority and minority party arguments elected representatives could, and should, discuss challenges based on people. Not only should the political party positions be eliminated but many committees can and should be eliminated. This can be done while streamlining operational effectiveness by altering the way legislation is prepared for consideration. (For more details on better ways see the Downsize DC Agenda.)
What can we do? We can begin demanding the tradition of political party positions be brought to an end. This must be done in every state that uses this type of unfair seniority system as well as federally. The louder and longer people demand this tradition ends the sooner we can get back to controlling government rather than government controlling us. We are not freshmen citizens; do not allow your elected officials to play the school yard game of seniority. When you elect a new representative demand they not accept the idea they are a freshman.
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There's no doubt about it...a lot of established incumbents are going to get the boot this November, and beyond. The question is: what percentage? The likelihood, based on past history, is that only a minority will get kicked out by the voters, but it sure would be great to see the overwhelming majority unceremoniously dumped on the curb.
