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To: MissAmericanPie
I know the original constitution allowed for only white males voting, but that was back in an era where women were regarded as the lower sex, and blacks and native americans were considered subhuman. times change, and in this case for the better...we can't go back to that... the sexes are equal in intelligence- males and females both have their different strengths and weaknesses, but you can't regard women as inferior and not being able to vote as well as men.
how would you feel if liberals pushed disallowing white males to vote simply because they generally vote in favor of the gop, and if they were out of the way then more liberals would be elected?
180 posted on 01/13/2003 5:47:13 PM PST by dramagirl1341
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To: dramagirl1341
Don't forget the amendment process. The Constitution was Constitutionally amended to change the way the Senate is elected, but that's not good enough for some people.
181 posted on 01/13/2003 6:14:19 PM PST by wimpycat (Down with Kooks and Kookery!)
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To: dramagirl1341
No hon, the Constitution does not say anywhere that only white men shall vote, it only refers to "the people". I am talking about something completely different. Here ya go, this is how the Constitution sets up the election of the President and the Senate.

This is how the President is suppose to be elected:

"Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector.

The electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves. And they shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose by ballot one of them for President; and if no person have a majority, then from the five highest on the list the said House shall in like manner choose the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each state having one vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the choice of the President, the person having the greatest number of votes of the electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them by ballot the Vice President."

In this lawful way I see a glimer of hope that a President is not elected by popularity contest or how much he will line the pockets of the unproductive by robbing and punishing those who are productive to the point of having attained a measure of success.I am using the bold in hopes of making this easier to read.

This is how a member of the Senate is to be elected:

Section 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in consequence of the first election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The seats of the Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year, of the second class at the expiration of the fourth year, and the third class at the expiration of the sixth year, so that one third may be chosen every second year; and if vacancies happen by resignation, or otherwise, during the recess of the legislature of any state, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislature, which shall then fill such vacancies.

In summation, we have not followed the constitution and we are therefore in trouble because of the need for a President to be all things to all people, instead of his first obligation being to preserve and uphold the Constitution.

I am all for trying this lawful way to see if we can dig our way out of the hole we are in. At this point, with no one being able to tell a Republican from a Democrat, even with a score card, we have little to lose in trying the Constitutional route. I am not sure why we left it in the first place.

182 posted on 01/13/2003 6:29:22 PM PST by MissAmericanPie
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To: dramagirl1341
Look up the 17th Amendment to the Constitution.

In section 3 of the Constitution, the phrase "chosen by the Legislature thereof" is superseded by section 1 of the 17th Amendment.

When the Constitution is amended (and how the Constitution is amended is spelled out in Article Five) the amendment is a valid part of the Constitution.

The Senate is Constitutionally elected, no matter what anybody else tells you.
184 posted on 01/13/2003 6:43:37 PM PST by wimpycat (Down with Kooks and Kookery!)
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