Representative Democracy
posted by Gerard Magliocca
“One of the countless drawbacks of being in Congress is that I am compelled to receive impertinent letters from a jackass like you in which you say I promised to have the Sierra Madre mountains reforested and I have been in Congress two months and haven’t done it. Will you please take two running jumps and go to hell.”
Congressman John McGroarty, engaged in constituent service (1934).
March 30, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Posted in: Humor
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Responses (7)
Ken - March 30, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Congressman McGroarty may have painted himself into a corner with an extravagant campaign pledge. I wonder if the elements of a contract were present: an exchange of value (i.e., the candidate’s pledge in return for the constituent’s vote), thereby cementing the common understanding of the commitment on both sides. Could said constituent subsequently have sued him for breach of contract?
Nowadays, of course, there would be no such issue. In recent discourse on this blog, we have had a thorough exploration of the limitation of liability for puffery. Any voter today would know that no candidate is obligated to fulfill his obviously extravagant claims, which are proferred with no intention of being taken seriously.
I guess those good old days were simpler times.
Anon. - March 31, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Just plain awesome! Is this an archival find?
Gerard Magliocca - March 31, 2010 at 12:33 pm
It’a actually quoted in “Profiles in Courage,” which (no matter who wrote it) is a good book.
Maryland Conservatarian - March 31, 2010 at 12:53 pm
“It’a actually quoted in “Profiles in Courage,” which (no matter who wrote it) is a good book.”
…but, if written today, would be roundly criticized for its lack of diversity.
anon dude - March 31, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Maryland,
I haven’t read the book. But if all the profiles in courage are white men, then it would deserve that criticism.
Ken - March 31, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Anon — Maryland Conservatarian is a bright guy who likes to get in his little barbs from time to time, in between his insightful comments. He just forgot to put a little smiley face on this one.
The book highlights the courage (as perceived by JFK) of eight United States Senators. Six of them served in the nineteenth century, and the other two in the first half of the twentieth. There weren’t many other-than-white-men in that club.
Answering constituent mail, in the old days - April 1, 2010 at 7:23 am
[...] (via Magliocca/Concur Op). [...]
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