Conyers and the Lazy Voter

In the newly drawn 13th Congressional District of Michigan, Congressman John Conyers is involved in a true political race for the first time since he won a seat in the House way back in 1964. Still, he is expected to win the Democratic Primary for the seat on August 7th. Why? Name recognition.

If there is a lousy excuse to cast a vote for someone, anyone, this is it. Merely having been around for almost 50 years should not grant a guy title to an office. Yet it all too often does. And we wonder why we get such awful politicians.

The Congressman barely campaigns. He rarely participates in candidate forums; he plays it safe. Politically, it makes sense. The more off the cuff things you say the greater the chance of saying the wrong things, and debates and forums no matter how well practiced are rife with chances to say the wrong thing. Politically, it makes a kind of sense. Practically, it helps only insofar as there are lazy voters to prop up incumbents.

As such, Representative Conyers' above the fray approach works. For him. But does it work for his constituents? Not in any useful sense, no. Still, it keeps him a cushy job and, to be completely fair, how many of us would love the type of job security which the situation gives him?

What that attitude says about both Conyers and the voters of his district speaks volumes. Unfortunately, that attitude says words which neither will hear.