Congressional Soldiers

Article over at the Economist tells us the number of people in Congress who have served in the military is plummeting:

The obvious explanation for this reversal of fortunes is that, with the end of the draft in 1973 and a shrinking army, there are fewer veterans to elect. There were over 26m of them in 2000 (13% of the adult population); now there are 18m today (7%). But their share of seats in Congress has fallen even faster than their share of the population. Part of the answer is that women, who entered Congress in growing numbers beginning in the late 1980s, are under-represented in the armed forces, making up just 16.5% of the army. 

Another factor is that the cost of a campaign has spiralled over the years, says Rebecca Burgess of the American Enterprise Institute, a think-tank. Veterans with limited savings may not be able to raise the $2m it costs for a successful House race in 2018, or the $15.7m for a Senate seat. 

But "But Xmastime", you say in the voice of Craig “Ironhead” Heyward from those soap commercials (RIP), “didn't you write all the way back in 2008 about the fact that nobody cares about war heroes anymore when choosing presidents?

Sigh. Yes, faithful readers. YES I DID. 

NOTE: Shortly after the post I linked to John McCain, the ultimate war hero, lost to Obama, who'd never served a day in his life.