Why would Cruz and Abbott call for term limits?

At first I was excited when I saw word that Senator Ted Cruz (and thinking, “wow, we agree on something!?!”) and then Governor Greg Abbott were calling for Congressional term limits.

At first.

Until I remembered that Cruz and Abbott do not care about the people who elect them or anyone else but only care for themselves and the ultra, ultra rich White men. 

We are then left with the question: Why would Cruz and Abbott call for term limits? Why? Why would Cruz voluntarily limit the possible duration of his job? How would this, ultimately, help them and the power structure?

In some ways, I don’t know. Term limits would tend to give more power to the states. I don’t hear Cruz or Abbott calling for limitation of the Office of Governor in Texas that so concerned people when it seemed like Rick Perry might remain in office forever.

But it would also be expensive…it would greatly expand the number of people who received federal benefits for life. 

And, mostly I suspect, as I have seen a few others say, that this would result in a Congress at the national level that even more than already would never get anything done and couldn’t get anything done because no one would ever really know what they were doing. This, in turn, would cause the nation’s CEOs and others to become even more influential and richer.

Term limits would also make it even harder for “the people” to become acquainted with their representatives. It would tend to prevent representatives like Senator Elizabeth Warren from having an on-going national platform. It would be harder for the women and men in office to assume positions of necessary power and respect within their communities. 

In sum, a combination of wanting the federal government to get less powerful and in turn, people having less of a political voice, while making states and CEOs more powerful motivates their desires for term limits, I predict.

Just a few days ago I remember thinking about how term limits would be a good idea, but I’m not so sure any more. Maybe, term limits greatly expanded from Cruz’s and Abbott’s proposal.

And before we talk about term limits or any other political reform, we need to get big, big money (i.e., Koch brothers, for example) out of politics! Politicians should not be “owned” by a company.

Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda