Weiner resigning from office is a slap to democracy

Anthony Weiner is quitting Congress after pushing pics of his manhood through the Internet tubes. It's understandable, given that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats, dropped him like a hot potato (or hot something else). But it's still undemocratic.

It's an insult to voters when politicians walk away from their seats midterm, whether because they landed better jobs, got embarrassed by scandal, or just got tired of not getting their way. In many cases, they're replaced by someone who did not earn the office but can use the advantages of incumbency to win "re-election." There's often a special election to fill the vacancy, and it's almost always won by an insider who can raise cash quickly; newcomers who need a normal election cycle to make themselves known to voters are out of luck.

In Weiner's case, we have a guy who became unpopular with his House colleagues (looking smart will do that) and then the party leadership, so there were plenty of people eager to push him out. I'm not going to get into his particular actions here, but a midterm resignation (as opposed to retirement at the end of his term) only emboldens people looking to overturn election results they don't like. Those who wonder why prostitute client Sen. David Vitter is still in office while Weiner is gone miss the point that scandals are a convenient way to get rid of politicians that their peers never liked anyway. Consistency is never the issue.

I think political vacancies should simply remain vacant until the next regular election, with possible exceptions for (certified) death, jail sentences, and offices with direct control of military forces. I don't see why Weiner's constituents should be saddled with some political hack just because he got too big for his britches.

 

Comments

[Suzanne]

I agree. If it isn't illegal, let the constituents decide.

[Quentin]

I just thought the Democrats were taking the high ground, given how much attention the sex scandal was drawing in the Purple States. Actions do have consequences. I don't think his actions warranted a resignation, but given all the demagouge grandstanding, it was inevitable.

David Vitter would not have been pushed out of office because there was a Democratic governor who would have appointed a Democrat to the seat. Hence the Republican hypocrits rallied around him. Of course, Harry Reid could have made more an issue of it, but didn't.

[Belstaff Jackets]

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