Tag: presidential candidate

How Should the Constitutional Amendment Read?

What do We want Our government to look like? Who should Our government represent? When the choices that appear on the ballot look and act nothing like me or my family, why should I expect they will make choices with my family in mind?

Our election system currently forces a candidate to acquire money to have their voices heard. Therefore, the more money, the LOUDER your voice becomes. THIS has led to the upside-down view of “government is not the solution to our problems- government is the problem.”

I believe this should change.

When We elect a President born OF this country, A President who is FROM The People, we can see the change We need. Our government is seen by special interest groups and MASSIVE corporations as an obstacle to overcome. But this is NOT the case.

It IS the FRAMEWORK that holds us ALL together. A ‘referee’ in the daily battles of life, for the economic world AND the consumers. BOTH are dependent on the other for survival. And Our government ensures the playing field is fair for everyone. It protects the field’s VERY EXISTANCE.

Money should NOT DECIDE who can become President.

ideas should.

The government (We) should create the “venue”, the “vehicle” for the debate on ideas. A “Coliseum” for a “Battle Royale of the Minds”. To decide the President of THIS Country?!! We deserve No Less!

We need a Constitutional Convention to create a ONE CITIZEN=ONE VOTE, OPEN, SECURE, Election system to change the way the candidates are selected. In an open and honest debate, the BEST ideas ALWAYS rise to the top. We can do better than the system we have now. End the Electoral College.

Considering that an amendment requires 2/3 Congressional approval and 3/4 of the States’ Legislatures for ratification, this is a process that requires everyone to speak up and participate. EVERYONE benefits from this. This change will also require us ALL to take full personal RESPONSIBILITY for the HONOR and POWER of the Office of the Presidency. It is, after all, an embodiment of the unified spirit of all who participate in this system. Whomever holds the Office, holds it for us all. So my following text is an idea.

Proposal for Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America

Article II, Sec I.2 shall be undone.

Article II, Sec I.3 shall be amended to read as follows-

I.3 Each of the Several States shall select, by ballot of eligible voters, in the respective States, an eligible candidate for President. The Chief Executive of each State, the elected Legislatures of those States, as well as the Secretary of State of the respective States, shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate, the name of the selected candidate. The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives, open and announce the name and State of each candidate.

At the end of the announcement, discussion/ decent shall be voiced and heard by the President of the Senate. At such point, either by determination of ineligibility or by majority vote by both Houses in separate votes, dismiss any candidate. If the votes of the House and the Senate stand in opposition, deference  falls to the original Vote of the State that had certified the candidate.

Article II, Sec. I.4 shall be undone and Amended to read as follows-

I.4 The Congress may determine the timing of a series of primary debates and discussion designed with the goal of narrowing down the list of eligible candidates, by ballot of eligible voters, to a choice of two eligible candidates. The two remaining candidates will be announced by the president of the Senate no later than July 4 of the election year to give the electorate sufficient time to become familiar with the candidates, to be voted upon for President in November.

The integrity and security of Our Intellectual Debates for Our Elections shall be overseen by the Secret Service, with full Congressional oversight and direction.

-END

Keep your head up.

JC

 

 

“The Electoral College”, Full transcript of the YouTube Video

The Electoral College: Is it Time to End the Experiment?

A YouTube Commentary, by Jack Charbonneau

US Presidential Candidate, 2020

 

In 1789, practice of citizens directly electing the leader of a country was… limited. Not unknown in the world at that time, a genuine Republic, where power came directly from the People, was not the universal standard throughout the world. The majority of the world was ruled by hereditary monarchs with a “concession” given to the People, in the form of an elected body of SOME sort… to keep the rabble at bay.

Even as our Constitution was being considered, the thought of giving the People the vote for the Executive Officer was terrifying to many. This concern is spoken of in “The Federalist Papers”. How easy it would be for a silver-tongued charlatan to woo the 13 States, especially if the person was fully funded by a foreign adversary.

Anything less than a Republic would be unacceptable after fighting the Revolution. Anything short would dishonor those who died for the cause, and surely lead us back into tyrannical rule. The fear is eloquently expressed in “Federalist 39”-

“It is essential that a Republican government spring from the great body of society, NOT from a small proportion or a favored class. Otherwise, a few tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might call THEMSELVES ‘republicans’ and claim, for their government, the honorable title of Republic.”

It goes on to rationalize the concept of an “Electoral College”-

“It is sufficient that the persons administering such a government are appointed, either directly or indirectly, by the People and that they hold their appointments… at the People’s pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior.”

…either DIRECTLY or IN-DIRECTLY by the People… It is “sufficient“? Wait…

This “experiment” in democracy has been in motion now for over 200 years. Imagine, looking at what has become, now… THEN.

As one reads “Federalist 39” it is easy to forget that the entire article was written in SPECULATION and HYPOTHESIS. No concrete conclusion could be drawn as to how it would go! As I read it, I take for granted that these words, written in argument for a theoretical form of government are now, over 200 years later, FACT.

ALL of it. Every bit of it. It is astonishing how clear these minds were when considering the possible outcomes and pitfalls. The historical precedents drawn upon by these scholars, some now lost to the dungeon of time, seem to have served well as guideposts for forging a new body.

A body not seen before, but envisioned by a few, and longed for by all that hope to see humanity live free, ruled by themselves. Could people rule themselves? Would the People see through the duplicitous nature of a candidate backed by an enemy?

After 200 years of experimentation, we can conclude the answer is- YES!

…but what about Donald Trump?

The PEOPLE of the United States have now, TWICE in twenty years, NOT been fooled and voted the correct way. Seeing through the bitter and divisive 2000 Election cycle, seeing that the term “Compassionate Conservative” was just a feel-good throw-blanket for people on the fence. And knowing the family that George W. Bush came from, the voters said “No!” to the Bush Dynasty and voted for Al Gore. Like myself, most people felt that having someone who was IN The White House for the last 8 years become president, would be beneficial for Our National Security.

And now, with Donald Trump’s blatant disregard for even the smallest of political norms, and his disgusting inability to feel even the slightest compassion for those he perceives as less than himself… EVEN THOUGH it would mean electing ANOTHER CLINTON…. The American people picked the winner. We saw through the Bullshit!

Unfortunately, the “security system” devised 200 years ago could not have imagined the massive amounts of wealth and power held by corporations today. Couple that with unlimited technological advancement, and here we are.

The fear that a majority of the electorate could be fooled into voting for a President that could harm Our nation is what led to the Electoral College. Little did the Framers know, they ensured tyranny’s victory in the end. Now, you don’t need to fool a majority to get what you want. Evil can win even if the majority votes against it.

Evil wins with 46%

The Popular Culture winds turn fast, even faster than the winds in 1789… climate change, I suppose… We must NOT act in terms of popular opinion in the moment. I believe this is NOT a passing fad. In fact, after 18 years of contemplation, a clear conclusion can be made regarding the “American Experiment”–

It IS a success! Mankind CAN govern itself!

“I strongly believe in the response of our citizens, when they are fully informed.” -JFK

In Conclusion-

IF We still believe the betterment of ALL humanity comes from a highly educated electorate, if we commit to steadfastly adhering to the protection of Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of the Press, and we once again, pledge our fates and fortunes, UNITED, I believe the Electoral College can be amended. The strength and beauty of this theoretical form of government, envisioned by god-fearing Men (who were at heart, Humanists) can now be unbridled.

So long as we ALL still hold that fear, that the Framers feared, as ‘gospel’. Our government is only as “good” as its people. Our government is strong only when we are strong TOGETHER. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Male, Female, Humanity, MANKIND… WE ARE ALL, BUT MEN… we are NOT gods.

But unified, in SPIRIT and in ACTION, Mankind can strive to achieve greatness that would HONOR the Gods of ALL Men.

… not too shabby!

-end

Posted to YouTube on 4 March, 2018. Keep your head UP!!

JC

So Here I Sit…

fbtwitter

Facebook closed my account in the first three days of starting it. (back in February)

Today, Twitter says something is “technically wrong”… but Twitter is up.

I guess every Presidential campaign has it’s setbacks. Some are huge. Some are bumps in the road. Overcoming obstacles shows what a person is made of. HOW that happens displays either courage or incompetence. How someone reacts can show what their motivations truly are. It can also stand as a ‘great filter’ of sorts. Keeping elements segregated. Sorting the wheat from the chafe.

At this moment, I feel scared. Yes, for my Presidential chances, obviously. But I fear more for the future of the First Amendment. IS it an illusion? When one acts in ‘good faith’, with pure motives, OPEN and HONEST, and not be allowed to voice their opinion, to be debated in an open and honest manner, do we really have freedom to speak? I cannot even find out what or why, as both Facebook and Twitter have not contacted me further.

“You can do it your own way, If it’s done just how I say.” -Metallica

keep your head up.

Campaign Update: Gaining Momentum.

I wanted to thank the people who have subbed my wordpress site and the people who follow me on Twitter @MrJLCharbonneau. In a world where the power of words and their usage has been compressed into a couple sentences, it gives me hope that THIS method of communication has reached the most people directly so far. I hoped the YouTube videos on the Hastert Rule and the Electoral College would have seen more traffic, but it’s not going away.

As I have engaged with people, I have found quite a few conservative supporters. As shocked as I was at first, it really is not so suprising. After all, I am from Kansas. I am a former Southern Baptist Christian. I own guns. I live in a socially conservative community. Even though Wyandotte county is one of two blue dots in this sea of red, I pass more church steeples than family planning centers on my way home.

As the political spectrum has polarized, portrayed as a widening gap tearing at our social cohesion, a funny thing happened. I first noticed it during the TARP debates in 2008/2009. As the Senate was debating a bank bailout of trillions of dollars, Senator Sam Brownback argued in opposition. Why should we bailout these institutions who gambled away all that money? Let the free market decide winners and losers.

Suddenly, I was APPAULD to find myself thinking “Hey, that Sam Brownback has some good ideas.”

I am a liberal. I describe myself politically as so liberal I make Keith Olbermann look like Rush Limabugh. Jokingly, of course! But, I realized in ’08 that as our views polarize, we find ourselves uniting again. We all walk a different political direction, sometimes wandering in the dark with fools and magicians leading us, but we come back to the same problems. Seeking answers, to problems we all face. Wasting all that time looking, when our answers were all the same, as well as the problems.

Common decency needs to be displayed in real life more. An appreciation of others’ points of view and a genuine desire to show you care… just a bit. Not sayin’ go hug a stranger. I’m not gonna do that. (People are weird… have you met some of them? YIKES!) But a positive outlook can go far. Until you realize your being trolled, then it’s gloves off.

So, right now I have 11 followers on Twitter and 6 or 7 here on WordPress. Hey, not a bad first couple months. And have raised… let me see… $0.00 with no Patreon patrons. Cool. I am not worried yet about this. It’s early. I don’t think I should worry until 2020. At that point, if no funding rolls in I will re-evaluate and see what options exist. I would like to say I could do this with no funds, but that’s how you get the exposure. Get the word out. If I could recruit 1,000 volunteers, some from every State, territory, and DC, then maybe… still, I doubt it would fly.

For Now, I will be satisfied yelling political obscenities at senators and representatives. Hoping to start a conflagration in the collective mind of Our country. Maybe there is just enough oxygen in the ether to whip up a fire big enough to turn our country’s leadership back to gold.

keep your head UP!!

JC