The seniority system should not exist.

The seniority system is a corrupt holdover of days where political bosses had absolute power over the political process. It is undemocratic and leads to highly inappropriate people rising to positions of power. If you think it is a Democratic Party problem, remember that the Goppers follow seniority even more slavishly.

In our current political and economic context, it is even worse. The longer people are in politics, the more immersed they tend to be in the culture of wealthy and corporate corruption. In the Senate, seniority is followed more than in the House, and the Senate is so backward in so many other ways that seniority only adds to the intellectual and ethical rot.

Yet, the real issue on the question is being ignored by the corporate media who think that wealthy and powerful connections should always trump merit.