I am just starting to be involved in Blogging, so I had thought I would address certain issues which were not highly emotional or perhaps even controversial. But the events of the past few days have forced me to reconsider this posture.

A tipping point is the point beyond which you can no longer recover. From the Internet, “The tipping point is the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to a new and irreversible development. The term is said to have originated in the field of epidemiology when an infectious disease reaches a point beyond any local ability to control it from spreading more widely. A tipping point is often considered to be a turning point.”

I am addressing the issue of our political representatives. I am an old man, with substantial experience in many fields. For many years I have watched our political leaders insist that they will solve our problems, or at least address them. I have listened to these speeches for a long time and when I was younger I was enthusiastic and supportive. With time I have judged the efficacy of the leaders by comparing their campaign promises with their actions.

I am not a starry-eyed idealist. I recognize that politics of all kinds require a give-and-take effort on all sides. No one group or individual has the total answer for all people on any subject. In all types of human interactions when decisions have to be made for the good of any group with different constituencies it is necessary for all to recognize that half-a-loaf is better than no loaf. And, the brighter leaders will recognize and even publicly agree that a combination of different approaches, melded into a complex action might be the best solution. It is recognized that sometimes their joint decision leads does not lead to a good solution and therefore they must change what they agreed upon. This is the sort of political process that you recognize at the national level down to the local club decisions on any subject from gardening to street decoration at the holidays.

My observations, made over years, led me to believe that experience and understanding was a good thing to have in our elected representatives. After all, they were working for us, and as such, will at least be mildly responsive to our desires and will work the political give and take, as required, to get us half-a-loaf.

I have gone past my tipping point and now believe that I am wrong. I believe that the group of our elected representatives are worse than useless: they are a danger to the operation of the nation. I have reluctantly decided that the only action that might have an effect is to send a message to ALL the national Congressman (Senators and Representatives) by voting for and electing only non-incumbents.

To this sweeping statement many will object. I am not so happy myself. Perhaps there are Congressmen who are trying to solve the nation’s problems: Jobs, energy, economy, infrastructure, education, healthcare, two wars,etc. But I can’t find them. Here is the measure I use: Has there been ANY success in obtaining a solution in ANY of these areas? I think not. And the number of Congressmen who have actually helped in any solution are few and far between. I think it is time to send a message to all sitting office holders and future office seekers: we, the American voting populace have finally lost our patience. The penalty for their collective failure is for all of them, individually, to lose their seats. The good (hypothetically there are some) and the bad (inept where there are demonstrably many): all go down.

It is true that the new group who comes in will be less experienced than those they replace. But, look at this way: could they possibly be less effective than our current leaders? I am not talking about what they say: I am talking about what is actually done.

I will vote for ALL non-incumbents in the coming elections. I suggest that if we throw out (defeat for reelection) 50% (or so) of the current incumbents the message will be clear: we, the American electorate have had it.