Falling for the Interest Group Racket

The only thing sadder than Gov. McDonnell's damaging acquiescence to the request of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for a proclamation honoring the Confederacy is how often elected officials jump for special interest groups every day.

What is it about getting elected that allows a person to forget who actually does the electing?

While certainly baffling, the political disposition that led to Governor McDonnell's Confederate homage is all too familiar.  Once in office, the successful politician quickly comes to believe that the people who come to his office and daily ask for favors actually represent significant constituencies.

They rarely do.

Yet, each appropriation season Congress easily succumbs to the mirage of numbers.  The staged and financed citizen fly-ins by Washington-directed cash-seeking interest groups lead staffers and members to conclude that these groups actually represent significant motivated voters.  In fact, their numbers are dwarfed by those who would prefer that Congress politely decline requests to increase appropriations or create new government programs.

The real story in Virginia is how its talented governor fell into this trap so easily.  The proclamation was requested by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group that represents hardly anybody.  Yet a term-limited governor with national aspirations decided to satisfy this parochial interest because it is a so-called constituency that needs to be rewarded.

The only thing sadder than Governor McDonnell's damaging acquiescence to the request of this faux-stituent is that elected officials, who should know better, jump for these groups every day.