In New Hampshire Don Bolduc, a retired Army general running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, has called for the the repeal of the 17th Amendment.
The 17th Amendment was adopted in 1913. It was supported by the Populist Party and by the Progressive movement. Before the adoption state legislators selected the U.S. Senators. The Senators, as you might expect, were invariably from the party that controlled the state legislature.
Popular opinion was sometimes consulted, but then ignored. The Republican ticket in Illinois in 1858 received over 50% of the statewide vote, but at the same time enough Democrats were elected to the legislature to send Stephen A. Douglas to the U.S. Senate rather than Abraham Lincoln.
State legislators do not reflect the popular will. In Pennsylvania, as in many other states, the party in power gerrymanders the districts. Republicans get fewer votes statewide but control the legislature by large majorities.
Prior to the 17th Amendment state legislatures were also dens of corruption. Senators were bought and sold. Of course that problem no longer occurs, he said with a wink.
And now this goofball in New Hampshire wants to repeal the 17th amendment, making an already undemocratic institution (compare the populations of CA and WY) even more so. He seems to be leading. The Republican primary is September 13. Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment