Political Quotes

“I recently gave a speech to the Midwest Political Science Undergraduate Research Conference, which was held at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA. It dealt with the current state of our political discourse and what we should all do as Americans to try and elevate that political discourse. The election-year rhetoric is already heating up in the Senate, so I think it is appropriate to share with the Senate what I told these political science students and their professors. This is an election year, so there is a lot of talk about how Americans have voted and will vote, as well as which Americans will vote and which ones will not vote. There is something that is evident in this election season, and it is also something I have seen increase steadily since I have served in elected office, and that happens to be cynicism. Americans are increasingly cynical about their system of government and those who serve in that government. Candidates of all political stripes are tapping into this cynicism by railing against so- called elites. Sometimes it is the notion of elites within a political party, elites in Washington generally, or elites even in the private sector. Regardless, there is a perception that elites of some kind or another have an undue influence over decisionmaking and ordinary citizens are being ignored.…”