Posted on 11/28/2013 2:52:40 PM PST by Kaslin
It was pushed by the people who saw the overwhelming level of corruption by Senators and unaccountability. To claim it was a Communist conspiracy is ludicrous.
Actually, it might be better to change the EC to a one-vote-per-Congressional district system. Winner-take-all per state disenfranchises substantial amounts of voters (especially in large Democrat states). Also, why should all states necessarily maintain their current boundaries for perpetuity ? Look at Illinois, where 1 fraud-ridden Dem county can overwhelm the preferences of nearly every other in the state.
Specify ?
You still keep spouting nothing but unprovable and undocumented generalities. To claim that the ratification of the 17th amendment wasn’t the progressives’ wet dream come true takes a real leap of faith (and illogic).
The example is straightforward, and I’ve cited it repeatedly. The Senate was, by the turn of the 20th century, and indeed even 50 years before that, no longer this body that would jealously defend the rights of states against a federal leviathan. It was once expected of Senators that, even if elected to a 6-year term, if there was a turnover in a given state legislature and they would not be able to follow their instructions, they would step aside and allow the legislature to elect someone who would. That went out the window.
Do some research, read up on the body and those that inhabited it. People knew it was becoming a joke by the end of the 19th century with wealthy individuals bribing legislators for seats. They ceased to represent state interests and began representing certain special interests (namely themselves). There was no longer any resemblance to what the Founding Fathers wanted.
Ceding the power to the people and voters left it up to them to elect the person best able to represent the interests of their state at large. It may not be the most ideal way, but it’s better than a return to a system that had ceased to work and was corrupt.
I have to say at this point, it is simply unimaginable to entrust state legislators with this power again and take away one of our last vestiges of say in our government.
We’ve never agreed on this. Your attacking me when we agree on probably 90% of everything else is ill-advised and childish.
You’re losing it again. Your wanting to take away my right to vote on my Senator is plain wrong, sir.
Help “right” ?
IIRC, you’ve described yourself at FR as an historian, right?
A Free Republic that gives away the right of the people to elect their Senators to a bunch of politicians ? Oh, yes, the irony is indeed rich.
Ain’t much more “progressive” than putting complete faith and trust into elite politicians. I don’t trust politicians.
One could make a valid argument that the concept of strong state powers ceased with the Civil War.
It’s not my fault if you don’t know the history or motives behind the 17th. You yourself couldn’t distinguish between an amendment process vs. SCOTUS misrulings.
Hi, Jackie, how are you ?
All that you've "cited" (actually asserted) repeatedly is that the senate "wasn't working". You have yet to cite any contemporaneous source to back up that assertion.
Question 2) What is the purpose of government?
I’ll give you one example: look up William Andrews Clark of Montana.
How was your thanksgiving, Jackie ?
So what has changed? That is exactly what they do today, largely because the People's House is even more corrupt.
We have not had a Budget since Obama took office, yet they spend money like there was no end.
We have a morally corrupt society that supports a morally corrupt government, one or the other has to change, or we will reap what we have sown.
Question 2) in post #76 unanswered. FM doesn’t know what his right to vote for senators is supposed to accomplish.
Question 3) If the popular election of both reps and senators is a right regardless of the 17th Amendment, is there also a right to elect the president and supreme court?
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