How Minority Rule
is Killing America By Thom Hartmann
Minority rule is killing America . This is most obvious in our Senate and Supreme Court , although it ’ s also hurt the credibility of the presidency and is damaging many of our states .
It ’ s happening because of two issues dating back to the founding of our republic , which brought us the Electoral College and unequal representation in the US Senate .
First , here ’ s how the Electoral College came about , stripped of all the mythology ( hint : it mostly had to do with avoiding somebody like Donald Trump ending up in the White House ):
After the Revolutionary War , the nation was abuzz about one of that war ’ s most decorated soldiers , Benedict Arnold , once considered a shoo-in for high elected office , selling out to the British in exchange for money and a title .
Arnold ‘ s name had been floated for president , and it raised the question of how we could make sure that a stooge working for a foreign government — or just for his own enrichment — didn ’ t end up in the White House .
Back then , America was so spread out it would be difficult for most citizens / voters to get to know a presidential candidate well enough to spot a spy or traitor , Alexander Hamilton explained in Federalist 68 . Therefore , the electors — having no other governmental duty , obligation , or responsibility — would be sure to catch one if it was tried .
“ The most deadly adversaries ” of America , Hamilton wrote , would probably “ make their approaches [ to seizing control of the USA ] from more than one quarter , chiefly from the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils .”
A hostile foreign power influencing public opinion or owning a senator was nothing compared to having their man in the White House . As Hamilton wrote :
“ How could they better gratify this , than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy [ presidency ] of the Union ?”
But , Hamilton wrote , the Framers of the Constitution “ have guarded against all danger of this sort , with the most provident and judicious attention .”
The system they set up to protect the White House from being occupied by an agent of a foreign government was straightforward , Hamilton bragged . The choice of president would not “ depend on any preexisting bodies of men , who
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