democrats need to ask for a Constitutional Convention

[billbuckhead]

At this point we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[silverweb]

1. Please explain.

What exactly is a Constitutional Convention and how do we go about this? Is it provided for in the Constitution?

[baldguy]

3. Its a way of changing the gov't or amending the Constitution.

What's important about it is that it doesn't require involvment of the President or Congress, JUST the states.

[billbuckhead]

5. If we campaign for it state by state,even dumbAmericans will have to learn

about the Constitution. I'd rather have things settled once and for all out in the open than have Scalia and Asskrack determine things behind closed doors. If Fundies want to monkee around with the Constitution, make them do it in the open.

Plus, it puts us on the offensive.

[tritsofme]

2. 2/3 of states must request it IIRC

So its not going to happen.

[donco6]

4. Uh, we're in the minority.

We have everything to lose.

[silverweb]

6. Thanks for the explanation.

It sounds like a long shot at this point, but....

Do the states vote for it in a special election or referendum? Is it strictly by popular vote? If it goes around the Executive and Legislative branches, who is in charge of organizing and administering it -- and how do we keep them honest?

This raises a lot of possibilities AND questions.

:shrug:

[bigmonkey]

7. This is very scary.

As I recall, only one or two more states need to certify for a Constitutional convention to happen. That is to say, the 2/3 number is already almost obtained. They are much better organized than us at this point, and I'm very afraid of what they'd do with no constraints. At a Constitutional Convention everything, and I mean everything, can be changed. We could wind up a constitutionally constructed Christian state, with no voting allowed except for rich whites, for instance.

[Lone_Wolf]

8. ...and give the Conservatives the chance to rewrite the Constitution?

No thanks!

A Constitutional Convention at this point would be a very bad idea. They would write the Conservative agenda into the Constitution.

[OneBlueSky]

9. NO, NO, a thousand times NO! . . .

once you open that can of worms, EVERYTHING is on the table for discussion and amendment . . . and with the necons currently controlling every aspect of government, we'd end up with a Constitution that you wouldn't recognize, and one you certainly wouldn't like . . .