How would Senate look if we repealed 17th Amendment today?

The Victory Institute ^ | Feb. 8, 2013 | Chris Carter

[fieldmarshaldj]

I’m gonna jump past all of this and suggest rather than continually argue over this subject, which stands next to no chance of ever occurring (thank heavens), that we consider what we can do at present within the current system to elevate the quality of individuals occupying the Senate at present.

What do I mean ? I mean doing something about the primary process themselves. Perhaps where we draft candidates to run as opposed to necessarily allowing them to openly declare. I’ve floated this for the Presidency, since we’ve seen the quality of candidates degrade to clown show proportions (McCain and Willard). Have pre-conventions of committed Conservatives draft individuals (a vetting process), proceed to a vote and whittle it down to two individuals (and prevent having a scenario by which the most liberal wins by being nominated by plurality). Proceed from there to a CLOSED primary (no chicanery of the opposition party picking our nominees) and on to the general election. It’s a similar method used in Utah (which was able to weed out ex-Sen. Robert Bennett).

I think this would go a long way into improving the quality of our elected officials and holding them personally accountable, and most importantly, is a far more viable option at present that can be implemented.

[Jacquerie]

Why are you too timid to write a stand alone vanity on the beauty of the 17th? I gave you a great title to start with.

C’mon bigmouth. Educate all of Freeperdom with your wisdom.

[AuH2ORepublican]

The problem with such state conventions is that Paulistinians are quite adept at hijacking them. Not only did the do that with Ron Paul’s presidential campaign (where Paul would get 10% in the caucuses but then end up with a majority of delegates because Paultards would pretend to be Romney or Santorum delegates and then vote for Paul), but when the Paulistinians took over the Minnesota GOP state convention they got some Paultard state legislator nominated to the U.S. Senate over a young military veteran who was a solid conservative and actually could have won the general (which resulted in Democrat Klobuchar winning by over 30%). If Paultards controlled the Utah concention, not only would a moderate-to-conservative establishment hack like Bob Bennett not make it to the primary, a grassroots, constitutional conservative like Mike Lee would also be left off, with two Paulbots making the primary ballot.

So closed primaries, yes, absolutely—I actually believe that it is a violation of the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Association) for states to dictate to citizens who form political parties that they must alliw no -members to participate in the decision to nominate standardbearers of such party. But we must be very careful before adopting a system in which a smaller group gets to decide who can be a candidate in a Republican primary.