Is there a requirement that congresspeople do their own questioning? can they bring in an expert for the questioning? I know that defeats the purpose of the “tough on camera” schtick, but I’m just curious now.
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Legislators legislating something they don’t understand, resulting in really shitty laws? No! I don’t believe it! Say it isn’t so!
He must have been proud when LCD TVs struck down Critical Race Theory.
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I would also argue that it’s precisely because they don’t understand it that we get such draconian internet legislation like the forthcoming Online Safety Bill or automated copyright filters or if those eggheads just nerded a bit harder we could have a little bit of encryption that stops the bad guys but lets the good guys through.
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I was hoping that the Rowan Atkinson clip would work instead of an /s
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Oops. Well that flew right over my head, didn’t it? Apologies.
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“We are paying for these Senators, Mr Green.”
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To everyone asking how they can ask such ill-informed questions, I’ll offer insights from my own experiences working for a federal program and dealing with politicians and cabinet members for the past 13 years or so: most of them truly don’t care. They come to the table (or meeting, or hearing) with an agenda already in mind. Sometimes it’s furthering pet goals of the current administration, sometimes it’s drumming up press coverage about something. IME it’s never about understanding the nuance that would be needed to make thoughtful decisions about the matter at hand to best serve their constituents.
Obviously, this isn’t meant to smear all politicians, but the ones that don’t act like the guy here aren’t the ones we’re talking about.
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Pretty sure he’s faking it.
I mean, we’ve all seen Sen. Blumenthal’s risque tiktoks (with a link to his onlyfans) right?
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Points for Not the Nine O’Clock news.
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Befuddled old senators still annoyed that this newfangled computer fad hasn’t blown over yet.
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Nothing new about this.
Damn shame these fools are making laws, especially when so many of 'em are so manifestly unfit for the job.
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Honestly, that’s what I’d do.
I should have guessed. Whenever someone’s actions seem this irrational, it’s often because their goal is not what I think their goal should be or what my goal would be in the same situation.
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Or even what they claim their goal to be. I have so many stories of people in these positions coming to me saying, “we want x,” and if I lay out a logical path to achieve x, but that doesn’t check the boxes of what they secretly really want, it falls on deaf ears. It’s horribly frustrating.
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Weird huh?
In almost any other career field there is licensing and qualifications, often progressively more as you move up the ladder. And continuing education (a lot).
It’d be interesting to see a requirement for fluency in the subject matter before one was allowed to vote. Since nobody can be a master of all subjects, they’d take brief classes, and the questions wouldn’t be too difficult, but if you don’t pass, you don’t get to vote on a particular bill.
No more skipping sessions, no more complete lack of knowledge (and blatant not giving a shit that they don’t know what they’re voting on). You skip class, you fail. You fail too many tests, you get expelled, and your constituents have to send someone else (hopefully someone smarter).
I’d like to think that this would result in more conscientious and educated people being politicians, but it would probably only serve to have more clever sociopaths in political office…
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The guy who got elected to be State Auditor here just had to resign because he couldn’t pass his CPA exams (after attending, at taxpayer expense, the exam-prep courses).
I kind of feel bad for him, bc his failure is so public (it was in the paper), but to your point, why was that guy even eligible for the position without having the credentials for the job 
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Well, isn’t it because we have a system of representative democracy, one where anyone can run for office. But of course, with the two party system, the only people who often get into office are those who play the game and might know nothing about the things they are supposed to be in charge of. Couple that with the right wing’s anti-intellectualism and that’s a recipe for disaster…
But the majority of congress are professional politicians, then business people, and then lawyers (I’m guessing there has been an uptick in business people running since the 70s and the rise of neo-liberalism):
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46705
In theory, anyone should be able to run to represent their districts or states. But often, it’s the people who are willing to play by the rules that the two political parties impose (with the Dems being more inclusive for those with varying view points compared to the far more autocratic GOP).
But I think the reality is that congress has to deal with a wide variety of issues (economics, infrastructure, social justice, foreign policy, public health, education, immigration, etc) and the assumption is that they get sorted onto committees that best fit their skill set. But as we all know, some committees are seen as “better” or more powerful than others, and the more powerful get on the “better” committees because of seniority.
To @Bobo’s point though… I don’t think NOT letting them vote even if they are ignorant on an issue is going to work, because that means one district or state is being denied representation.
As to how we get congress people who at least know what they don’t know and can seek out guidance on issues? I guess some do that… but others are there just to gum up the works anyway or with a particular political agenda that has nothing to do with improving the country or helping their constituents… The fix for that is not necessarily education, but probably getting money out of elections and in making the business of government so boring and removed from fame that it becomes what is should be - people getting shit done for the rest of us…
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I hear you, and roger that.
In the case cited, I don’t even get why “State Auditor” is an elected position albeit, elected by the state legislature, but still…
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Yeah… that seems weird.
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