You know . . . . it recently dawned on me. We sound really stupid when we say "Hold Them Accountable

[Stinky The Clown]

Hold *who* accountable?

Your local rep? Your congressperson? Your senator? The president?

How do you hold them accountable?

Its fucking ridiculous.

Wuddaya gunna do? Penetrate their bubbles and give them a stern talking to? Write a strong e-mail for an intern to read and discard? Not vote for them?

Wudda mean by "hold them accountable?"

Its laughable.

[Statistical]

1. You hold them accountable the only way you can.

Withhold you cash.
Withhold your support.
Withhold your vote.

Give cash to primary challengers.
Support primary challengers.
Vote for primary challengers.

[supernova]

2. Traditionally, "accountability" has meant

elections. Elected officials are accountable to the public at election time. We either like them well enough and reelect them, or we vote them out of office in favor of the challenger.

Still, this is a kind of indirect accountabiliy. The sitting office holder who loses is likely to not see *why* s/he lost in terms of policy positions. They more immediately think "my opponent outspent me." (Rare I know, but humor me.) "That one attack ad really did me in." "I wish I hadn't made that huge gaffe at that fundraiser that's already hit 100K on YouTube."

Today, I think through the use of online social media like FB, like YT, like Twitter, and all the tools yet to be (probably through phones and iPads), it's possible to give instant feedback to elected officials. When officeholders say and do things that their constituents vehemently disagree with, they can voice that disagreement at the very same moment the transgression happens. That instantaneous feedback has never happened before in the history of elected officialdom. The only other time it was possible was maybe in ancient Athens, when you can bet word of disagreements or stupid behavior on the pnyx reached the agora faster than you can say "Opah!"

[xchrom]

5. i'm going to over ride the cynic in me give this a

:thumbsup:

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Except....

Remember the TARP vote?
When we used all those communication tools and Congress admitted getting 3 to 1 NO from the voters, then they did what they were going to do anyhow?
remember ALL the "sternly worded letters" of the Congressional Committees when BushWaaaa people simply lied to Congress, or worse yet, refused to show up after being subpoenaed????
Remember Pelosi's "impeachment is off the table" despite HUGE outcries for justice?

Remember that we DID donate and work for and vote for the current President, believing his promises.

How often, since 2001, and especially since 2010, have we "voiced that disagreement at the very same moment the transgression happens"??????

And the results are.................. (crickets).

We need a new paradigm.

What reality based response can there be to a system which is neck deep in fraud and law breaking on so many levels?

[Bandit]

3. "2nd Amendment Remedies".....Of course.

:shrug:

[Stinky The Clown]

4. That's one outgrowth of our "bubble" system of government

When you can't wag your finger in the guy's face, that's one alternative.

(No, that is NOT an endorsement of this means of redress.)

[Tippy]

6. Bernie Sanders has an idea on how to accomplish this

Last night I was checking out MSNBC ....and Senator Sanders was on he was talking "Holding them accountable"

He plans to bring Rep. Paul Ryans budget plan up for a vote in the Senate.

God Bless Bernie Sanders " it is put up or shut up time" for Ryan and for all the rest who arfe doing the same thing......How many will actualy vote to privatize Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare and make massive cuts on programs needed by ordinary people at the same time as they give tax breaks to the rich."

From his web page:
"Sanders and Ryan Sen. Sanders vowed Monday to bring Ryan's budget plan up for a vote in the Senate, The Hill reported. Sanders said on MSNBC that he wants "to give my Republican colleagues the opportunity to vote to privatize Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare and make massive cuts on programs needed by ordinary people at the same time as they give tax breaks to the rich." Former White House aide Patrick Buchanan told MSNBC, "That's what they did with Reagan's budget. We got 12 votes when they sent it up... When it comes to these specifics, these guys run from it," Buchanan added, referring to members of Congress who talk in generalities about budget cuts. "

http://sanders.senate.gov/

[ejpoeta]

7. well, when you are holding them accountable that means measuring

what they say against what they do. for instance, when they make a campaign promise and then don't deliver it. or even try. or like delay said he wouldn't take private plane or helicopter or whatever. now if they see him doing it they can go up to him and ask him why he didn't do what he said he was going to do. these sorts of things normally would make a person think twice before trusting that person. in a representative one could decide whether they deserve their vote or they could be trusted. in a car salesman, you may not buy something from them. we are all held accountable on some level. the problem is that our journalists whose job it is to actually do that work that shows whether someone is doing what they should be doing or said they would are not doing that. they are just acting as megaphones and reporting what so and so said like gossips. so that accountability has been somewhat lacking for quite some time with a few exceptions.

[TheKentuckian]

8. On an individual level-no money, mo work, no votes

Systemically-Impeachment, censuring, the justice system.

Of course there is also the court of public opinion.