Class is in Session

When conservatives talk about the federal judiciary and the importance of who appoints those judges I believe that we are shooting way over most people's heads. We talk about judicial activism, legislating from the bench, original intent and strict constructionists. Most folks hear our candidates talking like that and say, 'huh?' The liberals' candidates come out and talk about appointing judges who will use the law with compassion in order to help out the little guy and make things more fair for the average working stiff. Hurrah!, scream the masses. We are technically right and they win the election. Brilliant. Our discourse must be based upon an understanding that education has failed our people in the last 40 years. Most people voting today do not have a good grounding in their understanding of our history, heritage and workings of government. They just don't know how the courts work and why. They don't understand the constitution and how our freedoms, liberties and rights are established and protected and even why that is and should be so important to them. The concept of a large intrusive federal government simply does not frighten them. They see it as better able to give them more and do more for them. They don't understand why the Framers were so skittish about a strong central government and enamored with the idea of the States holding more power and authority. This is why so many people are confused about the role of the Electoral College and clamor for its abolition. I fear that far too many people believe that our rights come from the federal government. They don't realize that our founding documents clearly point out that the Founders believed that our rights come from God and the government is charged with the duty of protecting those rights. If rights come from government they can also be taken away by government. Rights conferred by God cannot be taken away by government. If government attempts to usurp our God-given rights it is then the right of the people to alter or abolish such a government. That's what the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War were all about. We conservatives must assume the role of educating the American populace about these fundamental principles and functions of the federal government and courts. We must do this in an engaging fashion, meeting people on their level and explaining these things in ways that people can understand simply and apply directly to their daily lives. Only then can we make the case to the American people in elections that our candidates really do have the common man's best interests at heart. Ring the school bell!

Amendment 36-Colorado

With regard to the initiative to alter the way Presidential Electors are selected in Colorado, the idea of voting on a measure to change the way an election is conducted for that very same election is patently absurd. One does not change the rules once the process is already underway.
On a more substantive note, the proposal in question would essentially eliminate the Electoral College without a U.S. Constitutional Amendment. Presidents are elected by the States, not a general national plebiscite. The purpose is to maintain the integrity of our republic. Without the Electoral College process, states with lesser populations would lose their participation in selecting the President. Our nation was founded as a federation of sovereign states with a relatively weak national government. The majority of power is vested in the states. The current process ensures that all citizens of the various states have a say in selecting our national leader. Under the proposed adulteration, the President could be elected by three or four populous states. That would herald the end of States’ rights. The President is elected by the States to represent the States; hence the President of the United States of America. The People directly elect their Representatives. Thus, the House of Representatives was designed to be the Peoples’ House.
Article II, section 1 of the U.S. Constitution charges the state legislatures with establishing the method for holding elections in their respective states for President. It does not provide for those legislatures to abdicate or delegate that specific responsibility.
This proposal is nothing more than a veiled attempt to unconstitutionally usurp the power to elect their President from the people. What these proponents cannot obtain by legal ballots, they seek to obtain by chicanery and tomfoolery. We must never allow any dangerous changes like this to take away the peoples’ right to elect the President.
We must demand from our State Representatives that they make a pre-emptive declaration by legislation that they and only they under the U. S. Constitution have the authority to designate how elections are held in Colorado and that the apportionment of electoral votes shall not change.
We’re waiting…