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To: vg0va3

“2) Exit Convention with language specifically removing the language of the 17th Amendment
3) As U.S. Senators rotate back to legislative appointments the chamber is once again filled with people designated to conduct their jobs on behalf of the states and not self interested voters.”

I hate to be the one to tell you but the reason for the 17th Ammendment in the first place was because people were upset at all the corruption going on from Senators being appointed by the state legislatures. Its a viscious circle. Repealing the 17th ammendment will do nothing to restore the constitutional republic.


33 posted on 02/01/2014 9:03:15 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2
@GeorgiaGirl. Hope everyone is home safely after this weeks events.

You are not "the one" telling me anything I did not know. But, thank you anyway.

I will start with your premise regarding, "all the corruption going on from Senators being appointed by the state legislatures". Exactly how much corruption was documented to have occurred? Read to find out only 1 case the first 70 years of our nation and 9 until the 17th Amendment was ratified. Consider the number of people elected and only 10 cases found.

Please take a look at the facts behind the 17th Amendment in a study by Todd J. Zwyiki Senators and Special Interests: A Public Choice Analysis of the Seventeenth Amendment. This piece may help you understand that the argument you are making is completely backwards.

Consider that a removal of the 17th is exactly what is needed to return a strong Representative Republic. "In order to channel the potentially destructive forces of democracy, the Founders restrained the majority's will through federalism, separation of powers, and other "auxiliary" institutions designed to alleviate the excesses of democracy. The ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, providing for direct elections of U.S. senators, undermined the twin structural pillars of the Constitution: Federalism and the separation of powers."

The argument you make is that a return to the time before the 17th Amendment we would suddenly see lobbyist in the capitals influencing the specific votes on behalf of their masters. People buying elections to gain control of candidates.

What we have now is just what you fear. Only they travel to one city to gain influence and control, Washington DC. Instead, they would have to coordinate in 50 state capitals to achieve what they now get in 1 federal capital.

I hope this information will help you better understand the reasoning and the true impact of the 17th Amendment so you will not make such incorrect statements as, "Repealing the 17th amendment will do nothing to restore the constitutional republic."

Now, I again ask. What solution do you propose to restore the constitutional republic? And this time, take a little time to think it out if necessary.

45 posted on 02/01/2014 10:30:34 AM PST by vg0va3
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