Congressional Approval Ratings - Why does nothing change?

[Locutus]

Time and again, over and over, year after year, and decade after decade, we see Congressional approval ratings in the toilet.  For purposes of discussion, a recent summary from Real Clear Politics:



The question is, with Congressional polling data consistently showing such disapproval, why is it that the same incumbents keep getting returned to Washington over and over again?  We have career politicians, from both parties, who have been in Washington for a number of years and sometimes even decades.  We even have some politicians (Joe Lieberman and Arlen Specter are two examples) who switch parties, and yet still manage to be reelected and sent back to Washington.  Why?

Is it people doing exactly what politicians expect them to do by voting along party lines in largely gerrymandered political districts?  Is it that most people think every other state or district's representatives are a problem, and their own are somehow not to blame?  Or, is it something else that I'm completely missing, or perhaps haven't thought of?

[Anne]

I don't understand this either, but few people run in the primaries and the same ones get the backing of the parties. And maybe the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

[Bo D]

And maybe the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

That may very well be true. I have been guilty of that myself.

[The Troll]

  It all boils down to that old statement.  My congressman is a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch.  Plain a simple when you think about it. 

  Yep, this is the statement of the plain and "simple" people.   

[Y]

That's right.  He's our devil and the one we know.