Jeez, I can't believe NPR actually ran this story.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/02/18/387125444/why-congress-doesnt-really-worry-about-what-most-americans-think
Dear NPR,
Your story "Why Congress Doesn't Really Worry About What Most Americans Think " had frighteningly poor conclusions. You proposed that Congress wasn't following public opinion to authorize military force against ISIS because Congress only listens to the opinion of their base voters. How can you throw that idea out to your audience without first checking the base voter's opinion? I'd bet that the more conservative base of this Republican Congress is overwhelmingly for authorizing force.
Congress most likely isn't authorizing force because they've learned through two wars that it doesn't work - and it hurts our economy. I'm amazed that you didn't mention this, and I'm flabbergadddsted that you'd imply that they were wrong for not pandering to public opinion polls. Going against public opinion when they know something won't work is a hard thing for Congress to do, but it's the right thing for Congress to do. Please don't beat them up for it.
Dear NPR,
Your story "Why Congress Doesn't Really Worry About What Most Americans Think " had frighteningly poor conclusions. You proposed that Congress wasn't following public opinion to authorize military force against ISIS because Congress only listens to the opinion of their base voters. How can you throw that idea out to your audience without first checking the base voter's opinion? I'd bet that the more conservative base of this Republican Congress is overwhelmingly for authorizing force.
Congress most likely isn't authorizing force because they've learned through two wars that it doesn't work - and it hurts our economy. I'm amazed that you didn't mention this, and I'm flabbergadddsted that you'd imply that they were wrong for not pandering to public opinion polls. Going against public opinion when they know something won't work is a hard thing for Congress to do, but it's the right thing for Congress to do. Please don't beat them up for it.