An insight into the mind of a liberal legislator

Here in Colorado, there’s a move being pushed by Democrats in the state legislature to join an “interstate compact” that would, if states representing 270 electoral votes or more join, give those states’ electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, essentially ensuring that we have moved to direct democracy in this country — just what our Founders were wisely trying to avoid.

I sent my state Representative an e-mail asking her to oppose the measure.  She replied with a long e-mail about why she doesn’t think it’s a bad idea and is “worth a try”.  Although I thought she was wrong from her first sentence, I wasn’t angry with her until her last sentence in which she says that the current Electoral College system “prioritizes an unfounded notion of federalism over achieving the result that best reflects the will of the majority.”

Since I hope you’ll read her whole note to me and my whole response, in this note I’ll just share my response to the sentence above:

Your final sentence makes clear how you and other supporters of this measure think, which is to say in a way which has no respect for or understanding of the importance of avoiding pure democracy in America.  You say the current system “prioritizes an unfounded notion of federalism over achieving the result that best reflects the will of the majority.”  I wasn’t angry with your view until your last sentence; I just thought it was another poorly conceived liberal brain cramp.  The idea that federalism is an “unfounded notion” is ironic, since it’s our FOUNDING notion. Not just ironic, but frightening coming from someone in your position. The idea that the “will of the majority” should always rule is precisely antithetical to one of the key reasons our nation became great.

If you’re interested, you can read the entirety of the Representative’s note to me and my response to her on my web site at:

http://rossputin.com/blog/index.php/2009/03/30/state-rep-responds-to-electoral-college