How to be Fearless on Fourth Down

"Congress could learn a few things, too. Like football coaches, they make a lot of decisions from a fear of losing – in their case, elections. Because most congressional districts are now dominated by one party or the other, the threat most likely would come from a primary challenge from within the member’s own party. A lot of votes are cast in order to neutralize that threat. And when it comes to the big issues, Congress punts a lot.

Kelley said most officials run for office for the right reasons, but once elected they get trapped into party-based thinking. He said they should just do what they think is right, and they’ll probably be re-elected.

“Don’t think like a party. Think like an individual,” he said."

How to be fearless on fourth down - independentarkansas.com