"... and a progressive cabal who would like to totally dismantle the electoral college, which was the shim to keep us from electing demagogues, because the electoral college has elected demagogues to the office..."
If I have code in a software that is not working (or working to sabotage other code), I either fix it or remove it. I used to be a big fan of the electoral college, but it failed us catastrophically this past presidential election.
"However, if the Supreme Court, or the Senate, or the electoral college, or the states, allow our political groups and leaders to dismantle any element of our system, the entire system could fail, and fail spectacularly."
John Roberts' immunity ruling was a big step towards failure as he surrendered the Court's role in holding the Executive accountable for actions that enriched the President and effectively neutered Congress's ability to constrain the chief executive. (What force have any laws when those that break them on behalf of the President may be pardoned[1]?)
I fear that the critical mass of voters needed to elect "better" leaders doesn't exist anymore and we're scheduled for bread and circuses until the tent collapses around our ears.
It does give people in smaller states a disproportionate amount of power per capita in choosing the President. A Wyoming voter's choice for President counts a couple times more (380%, I've seen bandied around) than someone in California.
1) No, a ballroom at the White House would not have mattered because this is not an official state event and it would not have been held there.
2) The Electoral College has never worked the way it was intended - as a deliberative body that will reject despots and demagogues - and was always a kludge put together to get the Constitution signed. It is even less likely now to be able to act as originally intended so we should remove it.
3) Reports about the level of security are concerning, and we need a formal investigation as to why it was so lax when POTUS/VPOTUS/et al were to be present.
I can spew vitriol about our felonious President with the best of them, but believe that he's doing a much better job - while alive - discrediting the mythology and ideology that surrounds him, than martyring him would do. The longer he stays alive and is revealed as the grifting conman that he is, the better it is for the nation.
As he proved in Iran, it does no one any good for an outside party to short-circuit a inevitable succession crisis other than the person who is elevated quickly in his stead (which would be the Midwest's favorite failson, J.D. Vance).
Also, FWIW, the phrase "Second Amendment Solution" (and idea behind it) didn't arise out of the Leftist Swamps.
Naturally you dropped populism in there right in the middle, as well you might - the presudent is an imperfect representative of the same - abd its imortant to not talk about the marxist disaster the left have become - spoiler alert: this guy will not turn out to be a TPUSA member... But why invoke Germany, a nation exhausted by the invading force of religiously motivated rapists which the elites of the nation foisted upon it... Don't know of I'd have taken that particular line to illustrate the "dangers of populism".
"... and a progressive cabal who would like to totally dismantle the electoral college, which was the shim to keep us from electing demagogues, because the electoral college has elected demagogues to the office..."
If I have code in a software that is not working (or working to sabotage other code), I either fix it or remove it. I used to be a big fan of the electoral college, but it failed us catastrophically this past presidential election.
"However, if the Supreme Court, or the Senate, or the electoral college, or the states, allow our political groups and leaders to dismantle any element of our system, the entire system could fail, and fail spectacularly."
John Roberts' immunity ruling was a big step towards failure as he surrendered the Court's role in holding the Executive accountable for actions that enriched the President and effectively neutered Congress's ability to constrain the chief executive. (What force have any laws when those that break them on behalf of the President may be pardoned[1]?)
I fear that the critical mass of voters needed to elect "better" leaders doesn't exist anymore and we're scheduled for bread and circuses until the tent collapses around our ears.
[1] https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-promises-mass-pardons-to-staff-before-leaving-office-d7274d32
As I said, it's never performed as it was intended. It doesn't benefit small or rural states, either (that's the Senate) - it benefits battlegrounds.
I've yet to see a good reason to keep it.
It does give people in smaller states a disproportionate amount of power per capita in choosing the President. A Wyoming voter's choice for President counts a couple times more (380%, I've seen bandied around) than someone in California.
A couple things:
1) No, a ballroom at the White House would not have mattered because this is not an official state event and it would not have been held there.
2) The Electoral College has never worked the way it was intended - as a deliberative body that will reject despots and demagogues - and was always a kludge put together to get the Constitution signed. It is even less likely now to be able to act as originally intended so we should remove it.
3) Reports about the level of security are concerning, and we need a formal investigation as to why it was so lax when POTUS/VPOTUS/et al were to be present.
But not one word, Steve, on how those who spew vitriol and hatred about our President might have influenced last night’s party crashing nut case!
I can spew vitriol about our felonious President with the best of them, but believe that he's doing a much better job - while alive - discrediting the mythology and ideology that surrounds him, than martyring him would do. The longer he stays alive and is revealed as the grifting conman that he is, the better it is for the nation.
As he proved in Iran, it does no one any good for an outside party to short-circuit a inevitable succession crisis other than the person who is elevated quickly in his stead (which would be the Midwest's favorite failson, J.D. Vance).
Also, FWIW, the phrase "Second Amendment Solution" (and idea behind it) didn't arise out of the Leftist Swamps.
Remember how Trump celebrated Bob Mueller's death?
Yeah, maybe look in the mirror about how y'all talk too.
A banger of a column Steve, one of your best ever.
Naturally you dropped populism in there right in the middle, as well you might - the presudent is an imperfect representative of the same - abd its imortant to not talk about the marxist disaster the left have become - spoiler alert: this guy will not turn out to be a TPUSA member... But why invoke Germany, a nation exhausted by the invading force of religiously motivated rapists which the elites of the nation foisted upon it... Don't know of I'd have taken that particular line to illustrate the "dangers of populism".
Otherwise, beautiful piece.