Instead of talking secession, I think it would be more productive to talk about the individual States calling a Constitutional Convention.
“Article Five of the United States Constitution describes the process whereby the Constitution may be altered. Such amendments may be proposed...by a national convention assembled at the request of the legislatures of at least two-thirds of the several states. To become valid, amendments must then be ratified by either the legislatures of or ratifying conventions held in three-fourths of the several states, and may not deny any state its equal right to vote in the Senate without its consent.”
In past, the threat of the States calling a Constitutional Amendment was such that the US Congress had to agree to their demands, but for a single amendment.
But in this case, the Constitutional Convention would essentially be proposed to *disassemble* those parts of the federal government that were created without Constitutional authority—a much harder proposition.
All the interest groups would want to pressure the Convention to enshrine their particular program into the Constitution. Currently illegal things, like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other government bloat. At the same time, there would be as much or more pressure to *remove* parts of the Bill of Rights, especially the 2nd Amendment.
The pressure would be so intense that the Constitutional Convention would almost have to meet in secret. And each and every thing they decided would have to be approved by 3/4ths of the States.
There is no practical way for the Constitutional Convention to be restricted to a limited process. The entire Constitution would therefore be up for grabs.
It is likely that many congressmen and senators would use every bit of power and influence at their command to become delegates to the convention, many of them determined to derail it in any way they could. States vary in how they would select their delegates, either by vote of their Legislature or by popular vote.
The political parties would also pull out all stops to become enshrined in the Constitution as well. Because they are to a great extent responsible for the problems we have today, they are in no hurry to have their power diminished, or the political playing field leveled for other parties.
“Instead of talking secession, I think it would be more productive to talk about the individual States calling a Constitutional Convention.”
In a semi-functioning country I’d agree. But the Constitution is not ambiguous...rather it has been TOTALLY IGNORED. The case that threw my overboard was the DC Gun Ban. Somehow, 4 members of the US Supreme Court thought that the Right to Keep and Bear Arms did not exist in the Constitution. Not one Senator or Congressman mentioned impeachment...but those 4 should have been impeached.
Therefore, in my opinion, there is nothing that a Constitutional Convention can do, since the US Constitution can be ignored without penalty. You can re-write and re-write, but they will get into power and simply ignore whatever is their, in order to push through their agenda.
That could happen with an independent Texas...but there’s a good chance that it will not. There is no chance of cleaning up Washington in any case.