It’s both. If you don’t have term limits, that considerably reduces the risk of a newbie with morals coming in, rejecting your lobbying money, and putting your whole operation in jeopardy. If you can keep them around for a long time, they gain power as they gain seniority and so do you.
Too owned is the bigger problem.
Hell, Bernie’s old, but he still has his marbles.
I would suggest it isn’t the absolute age… but the overall health. Trump. Feinstein, Bitch McConnel. They’re not too old. They’re too senile.
I guess this makes Strom Thurmond a pioneer?
confession time- I had to look him up. My 30s google-fu impression? dud’es just an asshole.
An impressive asshole, since he managed to talk for 24 hours and 18 minutes… straight… But he did it to filibuster the civil rights act.
Speaking of which…
They had to wheel his senile ass into the senate when he was 100 so they could tell him how to vote.
It’s both. If you don’t have term limits, that considerably reduces the risk of a newbie with morals coming in, rejecting your lobbying money, and putting your whole operation in jeopardy. If you can keep them around for a long time, they gain power as they gain seniority and so do you.
In theory, yes.
In practice, look at the term-limited Florida Legislature. They’re every bit as corrupt. New faces, but same owners.