While I completely share your concerns regarding dynastic politics, I would suggest to take a more systematic approach to it, as well as the potential reasons for its increase. I would point to one factor especially: the exploding costs of campaigning. Given that a competitive Senate or even House race can easily cost millions or even over ten million dollars these days, and given that the costliest part of the campaign is simply to establish the name recognition of the candidate, any party would be advised to recruit candidates with already established name recognition. Having a universally recognized name is a comparative advantage worth several million dollars. And, of course, a dynastic name gets you just that. So, there is nothing inherently malicious about party leaders trying to recruite "dynastic candidates", provided, of course, that they meet certain standards of competence and integrity: they just try to get the biggest bang for the buck. The detected increase in such candidates may be a reflection of increasingly expensive campaigns, and the more Dem dynastic candidates may reflect the traditional money edge of Republicans that is making Dems more dependent on such names. Bottom line: if we want to get rid of dynasties (which I do), we should dramatically reform campaign finance to make campaigning cheaper.

Lawyers, doctors, academics, stock brokers --one sees a lot of them in some families. You grow up with a parent in the business and you kind of get a feel for how that business works and whether you'd like it.

Politics may be a special case, but then I think you have to establish just why that is.

You'll see this phenomenon occur in other "democracies" where oligarchs have formed around political dynasties. If you want to see a fast-forward of American politics, take a look at the Philippines which is entirely dominated by political dynasties. The current leader of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is herself the daughter of a past President. The children of the Marcoses and Aquinos are still political players in their own right. It's highly unlikely that this will change any time soon unless the dynastic successors themselves start to refuse service.

The Contributor of the Week has been named.

link at sig

that was Zapata.

Frank Zappa? Is he that Mexican revolutionary that allegedly rode?

Speakin' of Frank, anybody interested should check this smokin' version of Inca Roads

Hubby and I are listening to it as I type. He's a HUGE Zappa fan.

His brother once played onstage with Zappa.

You have just spawned a Zappa retrospective chez Pedinska.

A toast, in the hopes that both of us will find the other halves of our respective buzzes.

;-}

...but I'm a Dancin' Fooooooooooooool!"

Sorry, popped in w/ half a buzz on and free associated.

Speakin' of Frank, anybody interested should check this smokin' version of Inca Roads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhLuiSyhFFw

So hot it's scary.

Thanks - I've done this successfully before, not sure what I did wrong.

You just forgot the forward slash, /, in the closing tag. Glad some others piped up as I got quite busy this afternoon and wasn't able to get back here until a bit ago.

It would be interesting to see if there were about the same number of attempted dyasts [i.e. about the same number were candidates for creating a dynasty but more Rs failed]

Just catching up so sorry this is so late, but this was something I found interesting about looking at the Taft history for my earlier comment. That definitely was the case with the Tafts. Quite a few more tries than successes.

Probably fortunate considering the experience we had in Ohio. The gene pool appears to have severely eroded with time.

Thanks - I've done this successfully before, not sure what I did wrong. I bet I used the wrong slash to close the block, I've been known to do that before.

1 Samuel 8:4-20

"4": Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

"5": And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

"6": But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

"7": And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

"8": According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

"9": Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

"10": And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.

"11": And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

"12": And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

"13": And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

"14": And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

"15": And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

"16": And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

"17": He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

"18": And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

"19": Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

"20": That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.