This is the single biggest problem with our government

John Derbyshire writing in National Review:

"Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal:
"Business as usual." "That's Washington."

But in 2008 the public rejected business as usual.

Did they? I missed that. According to my notes, 381 of the 435 members of the House of Representatives in the 111th Congress are returnees, having sat in the 110th. Of the other 54, 31 had retired and only 23 were defeated in either primary or general elections.

Similarly in the Senate, where, of 29 incumbents running for the U.S. Senate, either four or five were defeated (depending on the Minnesota result). In poli-sci jargon, that's an RIP (Re-elected Incumbent Prevalence) of either 83 or 86 percent.

RIP for the House in the 111th was 88 percent. For the 106th through 110th, House RIP percents were 91, 91, 88, 91, and 87. So the 111th House figure showed a slight uptick!
So … explain to me again how "the public rejected business as usual"?"

As President Obama wrote in his book, describing the creation of his Senate district in Illinois.."Voters don't pick their legislators, legislators pick their voters." This is not intended as a dig at the President. But it is the single biggest reason we have polarized electorate and feckless and ineffective government.

I'll have a column on this later this week.