how can a country that was founded by elite men, find itself now under a governing class that the term?

Question

"mediocrity" would be a generous characterazation for its talet???

Answer 1

Actually, if you know your history (beyond what they teach you in public schools) the same crap going on now has been going on since the Founding Fathers thought up this great experiment that we call the US.

Answer 2

The first thing to remember is that nothing in politics is as it first appears. Politics has certainly changed over the years. The achievements of our founding fathers can never be overshadowed, but our government is more complex than the one they knew. John Kennedy's book "Profiles in Courage" explains the pressures and complexities a representative in public office faces. Those pressures usually include morality, constituency, and faithfulness to party. Our founding fathers weren't as closely affected by the voters because the mass media was yet to have come about, and there were no party politics until the split of the Democratic-Republicans and Federalists in the early 1800s. That left them with only one pressure to deal with--their conscience. Therefore, the early politician had less trouble standing up for what he believed in.
Essentially, it doesn't matter how many Harvard graduates you put in office. The most talented of us are still susceptible to pressure. All of us would want to be liked by those of our party, our community's voters, and still vote with our morals. Unfortunately, that's just not possible. It has become harder than ever to vote for what we believe in. That's the problem that our elected officials face, not lack of talent.
Ultimately, what will define the success of our generation of politicians is not the pressures they face, but how they overcome them.

Answer 3

I think the intense public scrutiny by the rabid news media keep the honest, descent, superior people from running.

Answer 4

Times change.