The Representatives:
- Jim Jeffords (1975-1989)
- Peter Plympton Smith (1989-1991)
- Bernie Sanders (1991-2007)
- Peter Welch (2007-)
The Senators:
- Robert Stafford (Class 1; 1971-1989)
- Jim Jeffords (Class 1; 1989-2007)
- Bernie Sanders (Class 1; 2007-)
- Pat Leahy (Class 3; 1975-)
By years in office during the last 45:
- Leahy: 45
- Jeffords: 32
- Sanders: 29
- Stafford: 14
- Welch: 13
- Plympton-Smith: 2
... so 3 men have provided the vast majority of the representation for the entire state of Vermont at the national level since 1975.
Because it's nearly impossible to unseat an incumbent**, these are essentially lifetime appointments, and over the decades many potential candidates for these positions are left waiting for "their turn". Welch, the current Rep, waited 18 years between runs for the U.S. House after losing in the 1988 primary to Poirier, and generations of potential U.S. congresspeople from VT are getting old and grey waiting for Leahy, Sanders, and Welch to retire.
Term limits might be the laxative we need.
** the only time it's happened in the last 45 years was in the 1990 U.S. House election when Bernie ousted Plympton-Smith, after coming a close 2nd when he and Paul Poirier split the Dem/Independent vote in the 1988 election.
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ReplyDeleteTerm limits in general are a terrible idea, for reasons readily accessible by Google. Do you think that Vermont has had poor representation? Or that the VT voters do not act in their self-interest, so should have their choices restricted?
ReplyDeleteTerm-limited politicians, in general, can be counted on to serve the perceived interest of their perceived next employer, not the electorate.
Do you think that's the case with the office of the President as well?
DeletePresident is a very different job than Congressperson. The level of scrutiny does not compare, and the job/wealth prospects post-service are different. The amount of power you have at the beginning of your term if very different (Congresspeople as individuals have next to none--although if you have enough capital to purchase a group of them, you might be getting somewhere). That said, it's not immediately obvious to me that the current hard two-term limit is in the national interest. Would be interested in reading up on that.
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