Sasse (R - Nebraska) proposes ending direct election of US Senators

[CaughtInThe]

Sasse proposes ending direct election of U.S. senators | Politics | omaha.com


He wants to take away people's ability to vote for their Senators and have the gerrymandered State Legislators do it for them.


He actually does have a few good ideas. This isn't one of them though.


And he told the truth about a few things including “So we’re going to need to tell the truth about the fact that the Senate is a dysfunctional institution..."

 

[Greenbeard]

Just abolish the Senate, let him get a real job. Problem solved.

 

[Ikari]

Sasse proposes ending direct election of U.S. senators | Politics | omaha.com


He wants to take away people's ability to vote for their Senators and have the gerrymandered State Legislators do it for them.


He actually does have a few good ideas. This isn't one of them though.


And he told the truth about a few things including “So we’re going to need to tell the truth about the fact that the Senate is a dysfunctional institution..."

Generally, I can agree with that. The House is for the People, the Senate is for the States. That is how it was supposed to be done. However, there were considerable problems with the State Legislatures seating Senators that led up to the 17th Amendment. And if you want to go back to State Legislature selection of Senators, we'd need some rules and oversight such that those issues could be addressed.

 

[PirateMk1]

Sasse proposes ending direct election of U.S. senators | Politics | omaha.com


He wants to take away people's ability to vote for their Senators and have the gerrymandered State Legislators do it for them.


He actually does have a few good ideas. This isn't one of them though.


And he told the truth about a few things including “So we’re going to need to tell the truth about the fact that the Senate is a dysfunctional institution..."

I agree with him actually. The Senators should be chosen by the state government to represent state governmental interests which are NOT the state populations interests necessarily.

 

[Chomsky]

Sasse proposes ending direct election of U.S. senators | Politics | omaha.com


He wants to take away people's ability to vote for their Senators and have the gerrymandered State Legislators do it for them.


He actually does have a few good ideas. This isn't one of them though.


And he told the truth about a few things including “So we’re going to need to tell the truth about the fact that the Senate is a dysfunctional institution..."

“The old saying used to be that all politics is local, but today — thanks to the internet, 24/7 cable news and a cottage industry dedicated to political addiction — politics is polarized and national,”

That I bolded, gave me a chuckle. But, we here at DP wouldn't know anything about that! :lamo

 

[Chomsky]

I agree with him actually. The Senators should be chosen by the state government to represent state governmental interests which are NOT the state populations interests necessarily.

That strikes me as a bit scary, but that is exactly how our founders saw it. But then again they also held archaic notions, like a black man is 3/5th of a person, and only Caucasian landowners (not Black, nor Native American, nor female, of course) could vote!

So with that, I think I'd prefer the Senate remain in the hands of People. And ditto for the expanded power to vote.

 

[PirateMk1]

That strikes me as a bit scary, but that is exactly how our founders saw it. But then again they also held archaic notions, like a black man is 3/5th of a person, and only Caucasian landowners (not Black, nor Native American, nor female, of course) could vote!

So with that, I think I'd prefer the Senate remain in the hands of People. And ditto for the expanded power to vote.

It said slaves not black men were considered 3/5ths of a vote. Black men back then owned slaves. In fact the first official slave owner was a black man who had an indentured servant that he sued in court to make permanently indentured. That servant was white. It was also male land owners making no distinction on whether one was white or not. A black man could indeed vote if they had land and they most certainly owned slaves. In Missouri at the time of the Civil War the majority of slave owners were black. There were also such a things as white slaves. There were slaves of all sorts. The reason they were mostly black had to do with market accessibility. The black slaves were originally enslaved by blacks in Africa in great numbers do in large part to availability from deliberate capture for market or capture from war and market demand. History is much more complicated nuanced and interesting than what is portrayed in school.

 

[joluoto]

Sure make the Senate less democratic, that will solve everything (and good luck, the Constitution need to be amended).

 

[Aunt Antifa]

Sasse proposes ending direct election of U.S. senators | Politics | omaha.com


He wants to take away people's ability to vote for their Senators and have the gerrymandered State Legislators do it for them.


He actually does have a few good ideas. This isn't one of them though.


And he told the truth about a few things including “So we’re going to need to tell the truth about the fact that the Senate is a dysfunctional institution..."

It’s so weird that Republicans are so dead set on taking away citizens’ right to vote. So weird.

It’s almost like they know they can’t win on policy anymore. Huh.

 

[Aunt Antifa]

It said slaves not black men were considered 3/5ths of a vote. Black men back then owned slaves. In fact the first official slave owner was a black man who had an indentured servant that he sued in court to make permanently indentured. That servant was white. It was also male land owners making no distinction on whether one was white or not. A black man could indeed vote if they had land and they most certainly owned slaves. In Missouri at the time of the Civil War the majority of slave owners were black. There were also such a things as white slaves. There were slaves of all sorts. The reason they were mostly black had to do with market accessibility. The black slaves were originally enslaved by blacks in Africa in great numbers do in large part to availability from deliberate capture for market or capture from war and market demand. History is much more complicated nuanced and interesting than what is portrayed in school.

So Black people were considered full citizens with full rights, just not “slaves?”

 

[bongsaway]

I agree with him actually. The Senators should be chosen by the state government to represent state governmental interests which are NOT the state populations interests necessarily.

You see what happens when the police, police themselves, nothing. I think giving the state legislature that kind of power is like putting the fox into the hen house. It screams corruption.

 

[Greenbeard]

The Senators should be chosen by the state government to represent state governmental interests which are NOT the state populations interests necessarily.

The string of red state ballot initiatives in which the voters overturned their governments' insistence on denying health care to millions of people suggests your statement is true. But that hints at larger structural problems with representation at all levels of government.

 

[PirateMk1]

So Black people were considered full citizens with full rights, just not “slaves?”

If they were not slaves and owned land and or slaves, they were equal to the white man in the same position for the most part same as now. That does not mean there was no racism. There was. It was just practiced on the poor. Similar to the way it is practiced now in many respects except more overt. Money tends to make people color blind to all but one color, in the case of the US that color be green. It also means that things were not nearly as simple as most people believe. Black men with money back then like today were in no way oppressed. Find me a black man with money who says he is oppressed, and I will find you a liar. Money more than anything else determines how "oppressed" one is in our country. Thats not saying there are no other factors, but money is the root of oppression generally speaking.

 

[Aunt Antifa]

If they were not slaves and owned land and or slaves, they were equal to the white man in the same position for the most part same as now. That does not mean there was no racism. There was. It was just practiced on the poor. Similar to the way it is practiced now in many respects except more overt. Money tends to make people color blind to all but one color, in the case of the US that color be green. It also means that things were not nearly as simple as most people believe. Black men with money back then like today were in no way oppressed. Find me a black man with money who says he is oppressed, and I will find you a liar. Money more than anything else determines how "oppressed" one is in our country. Thats not saying there are no other factors, but money is the root of oppression generally speaking.

Black people were equal to white men under the eyes of the law in both written word and behavior at the time?

 

[tacomancer]

Generally, I can agree with that. The House is for the People, the Senate is for the States. That is how it was supposed to be done. However, there were considerable problems with the State Legislatures seating Senators that led up to the 17th Amendment. And if you want to go back to State Legislature selection of Senators, we'd need some rules and oversight such that those issues could be addressed.

I suspect his real reason is that there are more red states than blue states.

 

[element94]

Sasse proposes ending direct election of U.S. senators | Politics | omaha.com


He wants to take away people's ability to vote for their Senators and have the gerrymandered State Legislators do it for them.


He actually does have a few good ideas. This isn't one of them though.


And he told the truth about a few things including “So we’re going to need to tell the truth about the fact that the Senate is a dysfunctional institution..."

There should be a two term limit (12 years is enough) on Senators. Though anyone can be corrupted in that time, there would be a limit to it. New blood and ideas every 12 years would be a good thing. Some of these old, long-timers have looked way out of touch when questioning witnesses in hearings, it's embarrassing for the country.

 

[tacomancer]

There should be a two term limit (12 years is enough) on Senators. Though anyone can be corrupted in that time, there would be a limit to it. New blood and ideas every 12 years would be a good thing. Some of these old, long-timers have looked way out of touch when questioning witnesses in hearings, it's embarrassing for the country.

The think tanks will just start creating a politician grooming outfit. It won't solve anything.

 

[CaughtInThe]

There should be a two term limit (12 years is enough) on Senators. Though anyone can be corrupted in that time, there would be a limit to it. New blood and ideas every 12 years would be a good thing. Some of these old, long-timers have looked way out of touch when questioning witnesses in hearings, it's embarrassing for the country.

i use to be for term limits. then some guy years ago said something like "why should anyone tell you who you can/cannot vote for".

that caused conflict in me. i'm still for it for President but not for Congress and i realize that's not consistent. i don't have a good answer.

 

[americanwoman]

“Senators who don’t have to worry about short-term popularity can work instead on long-term challenges,” Sasse wrote."

Makes sense.

Here in NE Sasse is a shoe-in for reelection. His Dem opponent was caught up in a sexually innappriate text scandal and has refused to drop out so like it or not Ben Sasse is there to stay.

 

[element94]

The think tanks will just start creating a politician grooming outfit. It won't solve anything.

It'll get rid of the dinosaurs.

 

[tacomancer]

It'll get rid of the dinosaurs.

And replace them with people who are just as corrupt.

 

[element94]

And replace them with people who are just as corrupt.

I can relate to your cynicism.

 

[Logical1]

Sasse proposes ending direct election of U.S. senators | Politics | omaha.com


He wants to take away people's ability to vote for their Senators and have the gerrymandered State Legislators do it for them.


He actually does have a few good ideas. This isn't one of them though.


And he told the truth about a few things including “So we’re going to need to tell the truth about the fact that the Senate is a dysfunctional institution..."

Being from Nebr, I assure you he has FEW good ideas.

 

[tacomancer]

I can relate to your cynicism.

Unfortunately, there is a bug in the design in the first amendment where money can be considered speech. That has just created an escalation situation where people try to outdo each other with money and the voice of the people is not heard

 

[element94]

Unfortunately, there is a bug in the design in the first amendment where money can be considered speech. That has just created an escalation situation where people try to outdo each other with money and the voice of the people is not heard

No surprise, money is god to all of them.