Direct Election of Senators and the Silent Artillery of Time

I am regularly taken aback by those who think our freedoms should depend on the character of those we elect to political office. If such men exist, then a simple assembly of these angels would do for a government. Grant a few hundred virtuous intellectuals the legislative, executive, and judicial power and be done with it. Why not? In fact, if such men exist, why not empower just one man with the three broad functions? To rely on the virtue alone of our rulers, Article V opponents guarantee a nation not of law, but of men and tyranny.

Those who believe our Constitution isn’t followed due to the character flaws of the people sent to Washington DC fail to understand the nature of the Framers’ Constitution. In pursuit of liberty, that circle of freedom outside the reach of others, our Framers accounted for the nature of man and designed a government to deal with it. The 17th Amendment blew up the Framers’ stable federal republic and left behind an unstable democratic republic.

Our early state governments relied on public virtue to secure individual rights. Among these democratic republics, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Vermont were radical examples; they featured unicameral legislatures, annual elections, and weak executives. Per James Madison in The Federalist No. 10, states often disregarded minority rights, as well as “the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.” The ‘No State shall’ restrictions of Article I § 10 in our Constitution highlight the inadequacies and abuses by the first state governments.

The structure of early state constitutions inadequately secured rights guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence. Unlike today’s politicians, our framing generation soon realized that only an overhaul of the governing structures in both the states and the union of the states could save the Revolution.

He’s posted the same thing for years: Take away the power to elect U.S. Senators from voters and give it to corrupt and statist legislatures that are usually gerrymandered by the elites, insuring that not only will they elect more corrupt and statists like them, but folks whose sole goal will be to drain the treasury until the complete financial collapse of the country ensues.

And did I mention that a large number of states you can forget about ever electing a Republican again ? California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington. 1/3rd of the Senate written off to the Communist Democrats for perpetuity. The remainder all RINO Socialists and no Conservatives (because they wouldn’t favor looting the treasury for their state, and would be replaced for one that does).

Want to return the Senate to statesmen again ? Institute a recall mechanism for errant scoundrels that doesn’t give them a 6-year reprieve, but makes them accountable from the moment they enter that body. Better than that, change who gets to elect officeholders (raise the voting age to 25 or 30, require military service as a prerequisite, own property and you cannot receive any subsidies from the government or work for the government). Get rid of parasitic voters and you get rid of parasitic legislators.

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