Think Political Parties Are Destroying America? Thank the 17th Amendment! by Todd Huston

The New Media Journal ^ | 5 june 2007 | Todd Huston

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Which leads me to my last reply in resurrecting this thread:

My idea for improving voting patterns would be to repeal the 26th Amendment, which allowed people under 21 to vote, and then restrict the franchise to U.S. Citizens who are homeowners, business owners, and military veterans. Women pay taxes; they should be allowed to keep the franchise, subject to the aforementioned restrictions.

My franchise restrictions would also require repeal of that section of the 14th Amendment which withholds some House representation from states denying all men (nowadays, people) the franchise.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

and then restrict the franchise to U.S. Citizens who are homeowners, business owners, OR military veterans. d-oh!

[supercat]

If it weren't for Reynolds v. Sims, which forced ALL houses of all state legislatures to bow to the false god of proportional representation, we'd have a better chance of a GOP majority, as state Senates would be able to use other methods of representation, such as county-by-county.

That one still boggles my mind, since the Founding Fathers clearly not only believed that proportional representation in all legislative bodies was not essential to a republic, but in fact explicitly set up a republic with a non-proportional legislative body.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Judicial fiat: 5 out of 9, law of the land. Kinda cool. /s

[supercat]

I’m just curious, what compels you to oppose the 19th. Is it that you consider women not mature enough to vote, or too emotional to vote, or not smart enough, or what?

Patterns of women's voting are different from those of men. Women for whatever reasons seem far more inclined to vote for candidates who would use the Constitution as toilet paper. While I don't know that forbidding women from voting would be the proper solution to this, the voting patterns would seem to be a basis for concern.

BTW, I think a major key to restoring the republic would be for the Supreme Court to acknowledge that states are only required to have one legislative body elected proportionally by the population, and that in bicameral legislatures it is entirely proper to have one body elected via some other means. Clearly the Founding Fathers would have considered such a split appropriate.

[Tarpon]

Yep, ratifying the 17th Amendment, worst thing that ever has been done to our country. With one Amendment, states rights were abolished, Governors had little or no say in national affairs and mandates, and permanent Senate fiefdoms established by the ruling elites. The balance was totally wiped out, states lost their sovereignty and became pass through handmaidens of the federal government.

Repeal is the only answer.

[Hostage]

An easy remedy would be to pass a law that would allow the state legislatures to approve the ballot for US Senator in their state. In other words, many candidates could compete for their state’s popular vote only after they were cleared by their state legislature.

No US Senator would dare vote against such a law.

[Freedom4US]

Debs was in prison when he got those 400k votes it should be pointed out.

[Ellar]

Article V says the state Legislatures can propose an amendment: “The Congress, whenever 2/3rds of the both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendment....”

[M. Dodge Thomas]

I think you might have been able to make that case prior to Reynolds v. Sims, which forced all chambers of the state legislatures to represent people proportionally (one man = one vote).

You are correct, the disproportion of representation was a *lot* greater before Reynolds. Now, it's just the result of Gerrymandering. And that can *still* make a lot of difference. (Just ask congressional Democrats in Texas, who recently had their heads handed to them on a redistricting map).