Remember hope & change?
In 2020, the Democrats have abandoned the soft Obama sell, and are directly going after the heart of the American Republic.
Their change isn't just complete government control of healthcare and the means of production. Their change is a lot more fundamental than that! Obamacare and a carbon tax just needed legislation.
Nope, this time around, the Democrats want change so much that they will need to amend the Constitution.
Most Dem 2020 candidates have signed on to four big ideas:
- Lower the voting age to 16
- Have term limits for Supreme Court justices (but not Congress critters)
- Eliminate the Electoral College, and install a National Popular Vote\
- Reintroduce the Equal Rights Amendment
Let me examine each of these proposals in some detail:
- In order for the voting age to be lowered to 16, Congress would have to pass an amendment to an amendment. The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the national voting age from 21 to 18. A new amendment would have to be ratified that would supersede the 26th.
- For limiting the term on the Supreme Court--Article III, Section I of the Constitution states that, “The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour …” Unless they are impeached, judicial appointments are for life or until the appointee retires. But Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker has suggested that Supreme Court justices should be subject to term limits and that every president should have the opportunity to make three high court appointments during his or her term in office.
- In order to replace the Electoral College with a National Popular Vote, which would allow the president to be elected directly by the people, an amendment superseding Article II, Section I (clauses 2 and 3), as well as the 12th Amendment, would be necessary. There is a back door move afoot where individual states will grant their electors to the winner of the popular vote, regardless of who the citizens of the state chose. Frankly, I think there should be plenty of challenge to THAT approach. The Supreme Court of the US struck down an effort in Oklahoma to place turn limits on their Congressional representatives. SCOTUS said that the requirements for those positions were in the federal constitution, and the only way they could be changed is with a federal amendment. So, the idea of awarding Electoral College votes to the winner of the popular vote, might not fly. Sorry, Colorado.
- The Equal Rights Amendment states that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Proponents argue that it would make it easier to enforce equal pay laws, protect access to abortion and help to protect women from harassment.
The ERA has been around for decades without ever getting enough states on board to ratify it.
There are two ways to get an Amendment passed:
- Congress proposes an amendment, and it is passed by 2/3rds of both Houses of Congress. That's 67 Senators and 290 Representatives. Next, the Amendment goes to the States where it needs to be ratified by 3/4ths of the State Legislatures, or 38.
- The States themselves call an Article V convention. You need 34 state legislatures to call for it, and then Congress has to set up a convention to debate the issue. Delegates from every state would attend this so-called “Article V Convention” for the purpose of proposing one or more amendments.
Like I said, the 2020 crop of Dems has abandoned all Hope. Now they are going to try to force a change. And you will LIKE it!
A couple stands against riot police during a free speech rally at Terry Schrunk Plaza in Portland, Oregon, on June 4, 2017. (Photo by Emily Molli/NurPhoto via Getty Images)