General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Biting political analysis of the McCain funeral from Jeet Heer: [View all]Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Sure, there's far too much money in Washington and that and other corrupting influences do affect Democrats also. Another big one is that the people we send like being there too much for our good and don't want to leave.
But as political scientists note, while liberal Democratic politicians do want to prosper in a town overrun with money, overall they believe in democracy and what they're sent there to do -- to be leaders in government of, by and for the people. That ideology is a huge check that keeps corrupting influences from taking over. They believe in what they are supposed to do.
Today's conservative Republicans tragically do not. They tend to see, and many fervently believe, that our federal government as intrinsically dysfunctional, destructive, and very corrupt and go there in part to prove their ideology is right. And that is intensely corrupting.
Not all conservatives are that bad, by any means, though today's remnant Republicans are. We need to get their corruption and anti-government extremism out of government.