Originally Posted by August

monarchies were like this, republics are no different. it's been happening since the foundation of the nation. look at John Adams and John Quincy Adams, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, the Kennedys, the Bushes, etc. and moving past immediate family, you find that almost everyone in Washington is related. our whole political system is part of this elite class of inbreeding Harvard and Yale graduates. even Obama and Cheney are distant cousins.

it's not just on the national level either. "governmental incest" is the worst at the city and state level, where the only thing that counts is name recognition. my area is represented by a husband and wife team and a recent election for State Assembly was won by a landslide by the son of a former Congressman.

people just show up to vote, see a name they recognize and check the box.