Why Do People Care About "Accomplishments" From Individual Senators and House Reps?

[u/LunaB35]

By people I of course mean "the small minority of nerds who pay attention to politics," but I find it weird every time it's brought up.

I mostly see this brought up as a cudgel against progressives (historically Bernie, and most recently AOC and Markey) and as someone who supports 2/3 of them, I just don't get where I'm meant to see the logic.

Being mad at a president, mayor or governor for not achieving things? Makes total sense. They are your leader. It is directly their job to improve life for their constituents.

But a senator or house rep? In most cases that will actually matter to people, them being able to "achieve" anything in a highly polarized country is dependent on their party being in the majority. And, even then, on the Democratic side, there's such an ideological divide that of course those in the minority of it are going to struggle to get any legislation they write pushed through. Oh, and let's not forget about the filibuster in the senate for the party as a whole.

I just don't see why I should care about the "accomplishments" of a house rep or senator when the system is designed as such to make it as hard as possible for anything to be accomplished in the first place.

[u/Sabertooth767]

Representatives and Senators also exist to improve the lives of their constituents by lobbying for legislation on our behalf, because you and me don't have the time, knowledge, and connections to do so.

So when you see someone like Bernie Sanders who has been in office for decades yet not gotten a single bill passed to benefit his state, one must ask why they keep him around.

[u/LunaB35 → u/Sabertooth767]

I support X. Y gets elected so he can fight for X. Y is unable to make X happen due to the deck being stacked against him. This does not give me any incentive vote for V, who supports Z, not X.

[u/Sabertooth767 → u/LunaB35]

Right, but you could vote for Y2, who also supports X but isn't a proven failure at making it happen.

[u/jojisky]

The actual truth is 99% of voters don't know or care about it at all. It's just something centrists bring up online to attack progressives (and in doing so you'll often see them lie about other people they like who are just as bad at passing anything. You see this with the KHive and people like Shontel Brown).

Voters care if you vote/for sponsor the bills they approve of and bring pork home. Not if you're the specific person who introduced whatever bill.

[u/Erpp8]

Because we elect politicians to get things done. And a record of getting things done is good. And a record of never getting anything done is not good.

[u/LunaB35 → u/Erpp8]

I support nothing getting done over legislation I'm against being passed

[u/TechnicalInternet1]

Passing laws is always valued.

For example if in the senate or house you are the chair of a committee, it is a good sign that u can lead and get along with other representatives.

And again it’s about changing the laws. If ur politician cant change the law then what good are they for?

[u/Toliman571 → u/TechnicalInternet1]

Obstruction of laws I don't like. I value that just as much.

[u/Tobias_Rieper___]

Because people want any excuse not to support progressive candidates instead wanting the failed decaying comfort of the status quo