Political Party ~ Two Party System Failed?
Government Based on the Original United States Constitution
~ Proposed and Submitted by Johnnie Johnson
July 11, 2011
ELECTING OUR U.S. PRESIDENT AS THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES.
It needs to be firmly understood that the founders did not want our President to be elected by the general public.
W. Cleon Skousen writes, “Public Easily Misled in Choosing a National Leader
Gerry: ‘A popular election in this case is radically vicious. The ignorance of the people would put it in the power of some one set of men dispersed through the Union, and acting in concert, to delude them into any appointment.’
Mason: ‘It has been proposed that the election should be made by the people at large; that is, that an act which ought to be performed by those who know most of eminent characters and qualifications should be performed by those who know least.’ ” (Pg.524 The Making of America)
On Mason’s quote above, “those who know least” are the people at large. What of the “ act which ought to be performed by those who know most of eminent characters and qualifications…”? How are these people found and selected and how do they perform?
THE CONSTITUTIONAL DIRECTIVE, TO SELECT A PRESIDENT, IS TO USE ELECTORS.
Article II Par.1 of the Constitution, speaking of the President, designates that He shall “ be elected, as follows. ” Not the passive should, could, or may, but rather the command “ shall be elected, as follows. ” Then Paragraph two states, “ Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors ”.
America consists of fifty states and over 308 millions of people, with all kinds of individuals. Let each State, through their Congressional Districts, pick from among themselves the best, to act in their behalf in choosing the President.
Alexander Hamilton analyzed this in great detail: Begin Quote “ THE mode of appointment of the Chief Magistrate of the United States is almost the only part of the system, of any consequence, which has escaped without severe censure, …I venture somewhat further, and hesitate not to affirm that if the manner of it be not perfect, it is at least excellent. …
“ It was desirable that the sense of the people should operate in the choice of the person to whom so important a trust was to be confided. This end will be answered by committing the right of making it, not to any preestablished body, but to men chosen by the people for the special purpose, …
It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations.”
“Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption. … But the convention have guarded against all danger of this sort, with the most provident and judicious attention. They have not made the appointment of the President to depend on any preexisting bodies of men, who might be tampered with beforehand to prostitute their votes; but they have referred it in the first instance to an immediate act of the people of America, to be exerted in the choice of persons for the temporary and sole purpose of making the appointment.” End Quote (From The Federalist No. 68 Hamilton, emphasis added)
HOW THIS IS APPLIED. From Article II Par. 2 of the Constitution “Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress; …”
THESE ELECTORS ARE TO BE SPECIALISTS SELECTED FOR THE TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT TO EVALUATE THE CANDIDATES, AND MAKE THE SELECTION.
Lets suppose the State legislature would direct each Congressional District in the state to choose an elector. Let these citizens choose from among themselves one person to represent them as their elector. (This selection is to exclude any State Legislators and according to the U.S. Constitution Article II Par 2 “no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States”)
A person that “…will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations.” This person would feel the burden of the whole Congressional District in making the evaluation of whom is the most fit from among all the candidates to be President of the United States.
This would serve as the elector(s) equal to the whole number of Representatives. (Congressional Districts in the State = The number of Representatives in Congress)
For the electors equal to the whole number of Senators in Congress, let the State Legislature choose two individuals from anywhere around the state to be presidential electors. Excluding any “ Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States”. (Article II Par.2)
These individuals chosen from the Congressional Districts and the State Legislature would be the “small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, …” that Alexander Hamilton was speaking of, and fulfill the Constitutional directive to appoint “a Number of Electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress:” Article II Sec.1. Par.2
After a thorough investigation of the candidates, this “small number of persons” would, as directed in Amendment XII of our Constitution, meet on the appointed day, in their own State and cast their votes in distinct ballots for all persons voted for as President and as Vice President and of the number of votes for each. Which lists they shall sign and certify and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the president of the Senate, to be opened and counted on the appointed day.
Alexander Hamilton points out, “… the person who may happen to have a majority of the whole number of votes will be the President. But as a majority of the votes might not always happen to center in one man, and as it might be unsafe to permit less than a majority to be conclusive, it is provided that, in such a contingency, the House of Representatives shall select out of the candidates who shall have the five highest number of votes, the man who in their opinion may be best qualified for the office.” (Hamilton #68 par. 8, The Federalist)
The 12th amendment changed “the five highest on the list” to “the persons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three,…” At any rate, the founders expected that there would be many people to choose from, not just two.
In conclusion the Founders wanted the general public to choose qualified specialists, from among themselves, to perform the duty of selecting from many candidates, the men best suited for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States, and if necessary, for the people’s Representatives in the House to finish the selection of President and the Senate to finish the selection of Vice President.
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