After A Bitter Election, Unite A Divided Nation Around Federalism

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” - Tenth Amendment

What a nasty, sordid presidential campaign, particularly if you live in a hotly contested area. Thankfully, we watch very little television, but wow, talk about being inundated with attack ads. Apparently, Ohio got the point, Romney is evil. Some voters are now elated while others are depressed. Still more risk experiencing buyer’s remorse. Many in battleground states are just relieved it’s over.

The increasingly rancorous nature of elections reflects an unseemly byproduct of authority being overly invested in the federal executive. The electoral stakes have escalated as political power swells and because Washington wrestled sovereignty away from the states. National campaigns are winner take all and the presidency is far more significant than our Forefathers intended. Remember, the Federal Government did not create the states. Thirteen several and sovereign states united to craft a Constitution. When they established what ultimately became Washington the Founders maintained the states as the primary instruments of civil justice. Save a few outliers like the post office, Washington’s domestic duties were generally confined to preventing states from levying impediments to commerce or waging war on their neighbors.

State authorities surrendered to the federal apparatus only a few precisely enumerated responsibilities. James Madison, “Father” of the Constitution, explained, “The powers delegated ... to the federal government, are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce.”

"Federalism as provided by the Constitution not only enhances freedom, but makes government more efficient and responsive as well."

Fine enough point, but the modern machine of politics cares nothing about freedom, efficiencies, and responsiveness. Nor does the polulace. They care about enriching themselves thru the tranference of other's wealth. They care about maintaining division among people, groups, and states in order to guarantee victimhood status and government rescue.

This article presents the way forward — go back to the original intent of Constitution. We will have more harmony if states and localities have more say in what’s going on. In particular, many of the divisive cultural issues should be handled by the states and localities. Texas is not California and New York is not Mississippi. So why would any of them try to impose their mores and ideologies on the others? If we were to proceed along these lines, people would be able to move where they are comfortable and share common beliefs with the neighbors. Let San Francisco govern itself, just don’t let San Francisco tell my city what to do. That is a workable compromise. I think we will all be happier in the long run.

Texas is not California and New York is not Mississippi. So why would any of them try to impose their mores and ideologies on the others?

That's worth a three-volume exposition of American political history. The short form is, frontal politics prosecuted by Leftists in the North opened them to demands by migrated blacks living in Northern cities, that the liberal elites in the North bestir themselves to whip down Charlie Cracker in the South -- again -- and do all those things pleasing to the bloc-voting black minority, necessary to keep the political peace within the socialist Front. This the Northern liberals were pleased to do, since the Crackers were resisting socialism anyway.

That's the short form.

This is indeed our best hope, but if this election showed us anything it’s that a huge portion of this country wants the federal govt. to fund and run their lives.

With changing demographics we will ultimately have to rely on state’s rights to protect us or flee to a country that values freedom, if any exist. We don’t need secession if we hold to the constitution the state rights we need are already there.

This will unfortunately take state leaders willing to demand our constitutional rights and just as important willing to refuse the federal government’s jurisdiction over any area not enumerated in the constitution.

Many of our present battleground states still hold Republican majorities in state government. We need leaders that are willing to sour the milk from the government teat. Democrats have been using our tax dollars to attract guaranteed voters to the areas they want for generations. Enact state laws that require work for any kind of government check and watch how fast the demographics change as the welfare recipients flee. When the federal government threatens to withhold their share of the welfare money tell them to shove it. Watch how much faster the demographics change at that point. Get rid of the welfare mooches and it’s no longer a battleground state. This gives an advantage for federal elections at least until the next census but ultimately it helps ensure we hold at least one part of government strong enough to slow down their agenda. Since the Senate is the only body elected that isn’t dependent on population it is possible to hold it against demographic trends.

Ultimately, this is the moral high ground as well as a good strategy. We shuffle kids through schools giving them one chance to get it right when their home lives often make it impossible. If they fail and drop out they never get another chance, we just doom them to the welfare system and they never learn what work is. Turn their community centers into work centers where they go to learn and work for their checks. Let’s see how many of them really only collect welfare b/c there isn’t any work available and how many just don’t want to work.

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