We People Elect President?

 In 1970, Congressional Quarterly reported that a  Senate bill (S J Res 1) to abolish the Electoral College had failed, a “victim of filibusters.”

“The Senate bill, sponsored by Birch Bayh of Indiana,(same state as Dan Quayle and Mike Pence) was similar to a bill passed by the House in 1969.” That House bill, ( H J Res 681) had passed by vote of 385 to 44. Rep. Emanuel Cellar of New York had been the sponsor. Years before he had championed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which did pass, but is currently being placed on the Grand Old Pyre for a legally ritualized sacrifice. 

If, in 1970, the Senate had not left that proposed Constitutional Amendment to die a slowly filibustered death, perhaps the most exclusive Club in these here United States of America could have mustered the generosity—the courageous noblesse oblige— to allow our nation’s most important political decision to pass to We the People, who generally can find a simpler pathway of getting things done than the Grand Old Politicians on the Senatorial side of the Hill. 

Perhaps, in 1970 our 50 state legislatures would have summoned enough democratic and republican simplemindednes to permit the American people to choose their President with a very straightforward popular majority. 

This, instead of the arcane, over-complicated, over-lawyered gamesmanship which now contorts and corrupts our 4-year selection ritual, could have been a simplifying improvement.

In its 1970 documentation, the Congressional Quarterly reported: 

“Opponents generally feared direct elections would destroy the two-party system and encourage numerous splinter parties.”

But now, our “two-party” system is falling apart anyway. So what’s left to save of the two-party system?. . . when millions of centrist voters are waking up from Jan6 nightmare grasping for a Statesman who will truly represent them and who will Preside peacefully over our nation (under God).

For the record, here’s one American who DOES still trust in God.

But I’m searching the horizons for Statesmen whom we can trust.

Now don’t think I’m a Republican just because I mention trust in “God.”

I used to be a Republican.

But The Savior I serve does not resemble, in any way, the sore loser who damn near destroyed our Rule of Law, and is still trying to destroy it.

Since I did mention "God", let me also bring to the forefront one of His statements when he walked among us:

“Blessed are the gentle people, for they shall the earth.”

But I digress. Point is: The sacred two-party system is indeed falling apart, along with a few other American traditions.

Now, in 2020, both parties are splintering severely, largely over issues that originated in arcane 18th-century hoity-toity counter-revolutionary hesitancy to actually launch a true democratic republic. 

They were still so afraid of a a real democracy,  the Founders contrived an Electoral College to make it convoluted enough for the lawyers handle it. 

Their Electoral College processes for selecting and legitimitizing Electors are tearing us apart. 22 years ago we were arguing about “hanging chads.” Now we’re arguing about, about . . . who the hell’s in charge here, right here in the shadow this Capitol Dome?

Rule of Law or Mob Rule? Rule of Law or Rule of Lawyers?

Folks, this is not progress. The Electoral College has outlived is usefulness.

Now is the time for all men and women to come to the aid of our country. Now is the time to make it happen: Popular election of Our President!

 

Glass half-Full