why do people re-elect politicians even if they are found to be crooks?
813146
I think you'll find that most Americans think all politicians are crooks, except for those representing them
147201
people do every time they go to vote,  it appears that the majority of people like the government doing what they are doing since they vote these people in.\n\nWhy people like Ted kennedy can get elected by the way he behaves is beyond me, but people vote him in time and time again
382484
Politicians, by their very nature, tend make decisions based on self-interest, not based on whether it's right for the people. In the most extreme form, they do things for PERSONAL GAIN, at worst to use their political influence to bring them huge sums of money.
251565
Because we don't elect Congressmen/women for their moral courage to do the right thing - they get elected because they have the most money to pay for the slickest campaign.\n\nIf the American electorate wasn't filled with quite so many suckers and those willing to be bribed by campaign promises to take from the rich and give to the supposedly "poor," then we might have members of Congress with some small degree of integrity.  But the chances of the system changing favorably in that direction are vanishingly small.
871510
Don't forget that politicians are professional liars, a honest person never run for public office, politician are deceivers, if they say this is red you can bet your life that in fact is blue, that is the reason they run, they spend millions on the election but they know they are going to get that back ten times and more..☺
2630
It seems that the longer they are in office, the more influence they gain, but the more they seem to be seduced by the power they control.  Of course the only way to retain it is to stay in office, and that means money.  The temptation to take help from wealthy special interests is almost too much to resist.  Then, of course, begins the slippery slide down from integrity to political punch line.\n\nThis doesn't mean that all politicians are corrupt; it just means it's pretty hard to tell which ones are honest and which aren't.\n\nThe problem is how to fix it--if it ever is.  The only way is with REAL campaign finance reform that completely changes the way candidates get money.  But such change must be enacted by Congress, and there's just too much self-interest involved to get any real change enacted.  So there you go...
802783
Don't even try, no one takes any notice of the very few politicians who care about anything but themselves and how much money they can con out of the public. 99.9 per cent of politicians are corrupt and criminals don't lower yourself to their level.
627243
Politicians have no morals.\n\n\nThey have polls instead
883510
They apparently posture for there constituents and always feel that they need to be perceived as omniscient. They need to realize that there first plan of action is not always correct. Also, they must realize that it is unethical to manipulate the general public with statistical fallacies to waive the public's decisions in their favor. There is apparent substantial evidence that they lie and it is also public knowledge that they are pathological liars, so then the question is why do we insist on continuing to elect them as our leaders. Is the general public in fear of change or simply not intelligent enough to rebel against popular belief.\nThis is a question worth asking.
1106144
Politicians are crooks, haven't you paid attention at all? And yes, we have the power to change, but most citizens are too damn lazy to actually get up and vote. If we all voted to remove the politicians we have in office and replace them with actual representatives, we could. That is the beauty of democracy. The problem is the few people like me who actually want to change the way it is can't get the general public to "wake up" and actually do something.
921844
Is it solveable well it better be and this past election demonstrated how.  Show ALL politicians your screw up your gone and so is your power.  \n\nBut, come on take your blinders off reality is ALL politicians are easily manipulated by the system of special interest groups.\n\nLet's hope that was it was for our country's sake.
1153118
The problem with government and politics in  general today, is the major concern being re-election. Politicians will aften make certain deals under the table with other politicians regarding certain bills, for example, the politician will agree to vote or shoot down certain bills in order to gain a return vote from the politician or politicians spearheading that bill, on bills that politician may try to present and push in the future. This of course can tick off constituents, so politicians wil try to gain favor with the constituents by taking the popular vote on bills based on what thier constituents want or need when its an election year. It's called flip-flop politics. John Kerry being a prime example.
774743
Elect people who can't be corrupted. That is the correct answer\nto your question. \n\nWhether it could happen or not is another story all together.\n\nThank you very much, while you're up.
210173
At the local level, maybe.  At the national level?  No honest person or person with ethics and integrity would want to hold a national elected office....the way things are run today, corruption is unavoidable.
524449
Those labels would prohibit such a person being elected. Most people will stick to the garden variety lying, cheating, stealing, money grubbing, white, straight, Christian politician.
529195
I think that somone who is willing to vote not base on what he thinks is right is an inherently corrupt person. We live in a republic wich means that we elect leaders to vote and make descisions. If we wanted every descision to be based on popular opinion then we would live in a democracy.
694495
There as many reasons as there are incumbents who lose. Your reason is 1 of them. Sometimes, voters feel like he has done a poor job, ex Ford & Carter. Sometimes people like the other candidate, other times people want t change of direction.