They're politicians now. They have to act like it.
The real issue here is that "shrinking government" isn't something that most are serious about, and even among those that are many of them are scared off by the rampant paranoia that effectively rules US policy. The number of people willing to seriously take "shrinking government" seriously by shrinking it's most invasive manifestation is a small group. Those people will find it hard to get re-elected if they actually do it and then the media whips up a public hysteria over some new terrorist plot. Then we'll get "why didn't the government do anything!?" instead.
Ultimately the path to re-election is easier when you do nothing and yell about how evil the other guy is then it is if you try to enact serious policy. Both parties are guilty of that all the time.
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Date: 10/2/11 22:06 (UTC)The real issue here is that "shrinking government" isn't something that most are serious about, and even among those that are many of them are scared off by the rampant paranoia that effectively rules US policy. The number of people willing to seriously take "shrinking government" seriously by shrinking it's most invasive manifestation is a small group. Those people will find it hard to get re-elected if they actually do it and then the media whips up a public hysteria over some new terrorist plot. Then we'll get "why didn't the government do anything!?" instead.
Ultimately the path to re-election is easier when you do nothing and yell about how evil the other guy is then it is if you try to enact serious policy. Both parties are guilty of that all the time.