Michael Steele hit the nail on the head just now on Morning Joe in a discussion of public polling.

[Nexus2]

"Politicians don't really care what's popular with the American people. If they did we'd have all kinds of reforms that people have been talking about for years."

[Lovie777]

1. I beg to differ . . ..

Democrats and most Indies do care.

[wellst0nev0ter]

3. To their detriment

[betsuni]

15. What does that mean?

[Scrivener7]

16. I take it to mean they are competing with people who don't care, who will do anything to

get money and power, and therefore Democrats have a harder hill to climb.

All a republiQan needs to do is get some billionaire to back him. Then he gets elected and puts his feet up on his desk and all he has to do for his term is overturn regulations on some polluter or some arms dealer or some drug maker or some other entity that is trying to kill us all.

A Democrat needs to actually get support, then actually govern if they are elected.

[betsuni]

17. Still don't get why caring what Americans want would be detrimental.

[Scrivener7]

18. It makes their jobs a lot harder than the job of the guy who doesn't.

[Eyeball_Kid]

21. Yeah. With the pay-to-play system,

You have a smaller audience to placate, and you have handfuls of money to boot. Accepting bribes (oh, excuse me... DONATIONS) is much simpler and has greater rewards. Recall that our old friend, Trumpy-Boy, believed that bribing international officials and CEOs SHOULD BE LEGAL. Since he doesn't have scruples, we can make it a sure bet that Trumpy-Boy would be comfortable with bribing domestic targets. That's right, Lindsey. You, too Devin Moo Moo. I'd add Gaetz to the list of those eager to get money for services, but Gaetz is jumping up and down and waving his hands, hoping to get Trumpy's attention. So he doesn't qualify for bribes.

[azureblue]

37. let's put it this way

Honest and caring vs lying crooks who are good at fooling people. And the fools vote GOP.

[LiberalLovinLug]

36. Not the detriment of their character, quite the opposite.

Its to the detriment of a lazy, easy, and more lucrative job performance.

And the to the detriment of actually having to spend time working on bills that would improve lives. Its so much easier to just be the critic against whatever the other party is doing. Or not doing

[The Wizard]

2. Far too many elected officials

do the bidding of the bribing class.

[empedocles]

4. Yep

[barbtries]

5. REPUBLICAN politicians.

both parties are not the same.

[StClone]

32. Yep. Pigs do not Govern they rule for big monied's whims and wishes

Democrats are too busy working for their voters to find time to spin, manipulate, propagandizes, and even if they did few media outlets would air it, as the media is in the hands of the Pigs.

[Bucky]

40. I don't think name-calling adds any insight to to the conversation

[StClone]

41. Oh I am sorry Republicans.

Geesh.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

33. +1000

The GQP is interested only in power, not service. Anything that gets in their way -- including the law -- of acquiring power ends up thrown by the side of the road. The party is corrupt through and through.

[Hortensis]

35. Yup. And those who claim they are are either up to bad trouble

on purpose or useful idiots for the others. What informed people always knew is beyond obvious to everyone now.

[GoodRaisin]

6. We'd have reforms driven by Democratic politicians if we had

the majorities and no filibustering. Republicans obviously don't care about what is popular with the people unless it's tax cuts for the rich people.

[bdamomma]

7. Yes indeed.

Repigs are as dark and evil as they come.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Steele always tarnishes with a broad brush in hopes of GOP death-bed revival

I like him, but this is both-siderism in a very disguised, irrefutable form. It's not what America needs now.

[KS Toronado]

10. I agree 100%

[spooky3]

24. +1

[Jakes Progress]

38. I quit liking him some time ago. He is still

aching to be some republican big wig. He is never honest. He slants everything to excuse the republicans and never shoulders any blame for what kind of party he created.

Mea culpas needed.

[uponit7771]

9. ***REPUBLICANS*** don't care because their messaging machine allows them not to

[zaj]

11. Here's why...

[Delphinus]

14. Thank you

Will watch later today.

[KPN]

22. +++ Excellent video.

Exactly -- representation is kind of an illusion at the federal level, so only those who actually pull the strings are satisfied, i.e., the .1% or so. The rest of us (the 99%) are left holding the bag and fighting each other. Because wedge issues ultimately serve the interests of the .1-1%, the Rs tend to dominate law-making at the federal level with a huge assist of course by an unrepresentative "representative" and electoral system. Ergo, no gun control, foot dragging on global warming, tax cuts for the wealthy, an inefficient national health plan, prohibitively high cost of public higher education, poverty level minimum wages, millions of homeless, and the list goes on.

[c-rational]

28. Great video and suggestions for solutions to fix politically non-functioning government. Thanks.

[PatSeg]

12. Republican politicians

get all wrapped up in the game and one-upmanship. It isn't about policies and governing, it is about defeating your opponent. They mistake governing for a sporting event and they really hate losing.

[KPN]

23. "Sporting event" is putting it lightly. I get your point. It's a good one, but anymore they tend

to look at it as a "war". They've deceived their supporters into believing the notion that they are fighting a war to save America -- from "evil communist liberals". Maybe some of them have deceived themselves as well, but my perspective is that most, if not all, of them are just corrupt. Just grifters as a whole.

[PatSeg]

25. Oh yes, I agree

And right-wingers tend to look at sporting events and games more like war than healthy competition. If you've ever played any kind of game with such people, they hate to lose so much they often cheat or upend the board when they lose.

I've found that they lie even when the truth would serve them better, because they like getting away with something, bucking the system. They cheat on their taxes, lie to their spouses, steal from their employers, employees, or customers, and inflate their accomplishments. To them, it is not cheating or corruption, it is WINNING and in the end, that is all that matters.

I think it could be viewed as some kind of disorder that is a symbol of the society we live in. A world where the old worn cliché "Nice guys finish last" is not really meant in jest, it is a motto that too many live by.

[KPN]

27. Weird isn't it? What is wrong with these people? I struggle to understand it. What happened to

them in their early childhood to make them this way, or is it genetic/biological? If the latter, you would think natural selection would have taken care of the problem by now.

[PatSeg]

34. Yes, I agree about natural selection

In most cases, it think it is primarily because of what was learned in childhood from family and/or friends, but then again, people from the same backgrounds don't necessarily end up the same.

[betsuni]

13. No, the nail did not hit the head. That both sides are corrupt and don't care is bull.

Republicans don't care what voters think because their voters don't care about policy.

Democrats are constantly told they're terrible at messaging because they talk about policies the American people want. Americans don't vote on policy, they don't know policies. The MSM never talks about it, they're no help. Apparently Democrats have to personally visit each American at home and explain things to them like they're five years old and give them therapy, pass out self-help books, because they feel ignored, left behind, forgotten, voiceless, nobody listens.

[onecaliberal]

19. Wrong! Democrats DO care and we would have a much better

Country if not for republicans.

[JI7]

20. REPUBLICANS don't care . Democrats DO . Democrats have tried and gotten things done

and it has been republicans that always stopped it.

[whathehell]

26. Wrong -- Democrats care. n/t.

[czarjak]

29. How did being head-honcho of The Rich White Guy Party work out for ya?

Rushbo wasn’t having that, huh?

[heckles65]

30. Democrat representatives have to be statesmen

Republican ones just have to be good employees.

[patphil]

31. Remember that Steele is the former head of the RNC.

His assumption is that all politicians are like Republican politicians.

[Skittles]

39. speak for the REPUKE PARTY

I see Dems constantly pushing popular issues.

[SunSeeker]

42. No, REPUBLICANS don't care. Democrats have been pushing for popular reforms for decades.

Republicans have obstructed them.

[Quixote1818]

43. He just figured this out? LOL nt