All of the focus in this years election cycle is on the executive race, and very little thought is being given to the race for legislative offices.
Lets say the federal government is a pro football team, and it's coming up on draft day. We have a high first round pick, because our franchise has fallen into disrepair, and there are three quarterbacks who are projected first-rounders. Do we focus our attention on selecting the best of the three, or do we trade down for more picks?
I think we trade down. The executive course is set no matter who the quarterback is. They're not going to be asked to win; just not to lose instead. Our team's got a bunch of gimpy has-beens and dead-woods, all going through the motions so they can put more time in towards retirement. Right now, our legislators will either roll over on their backs and let corporate interests rub their tummies (like Joe Bonner), or else they'll fight tooth and nail for an errant cause (Alaska's Ted Stevens).
We need a bunch of scrappy players on the field who'll fight to defend the common good. we need sincere debate on issues, and fair collective judgements that are based on the merits of a given item.
You could cut off their heads and switch their bodies, and it still wouldn't make a dimes worth of difference which one of the three contenders becomes president. But congress--now that's something we could really zero in on and improve upon.