Opinion
Colorado/United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- Last year, we discussed the threat that the National Popular Vote Compact poses to the Second Amendment. Well, that threat has increased a bit with Colorado signing on, making it a total of 12 states and the District of Colombia – comprising a total of 170 electoral votes.
This means that a major threat to the Second Amendment is not that far off.
Delaware, with three electoral votes, is reportedly considering joining this compact as well. Both states were controlled by a party that has lost two Presidential elections in the last decade despite having won the national popular vote. In both cases, California was where they ran up the huge margins.
In 2000, Al Gore, who had called for the licensing of handgun owners, won the popular vote by about 500,000 – aided by a 1.3 million vote margin in California. Hillary Clinton’s 2016 popular vote margin of 2.9 million was aided by winning California by 4.3 million votes. California – where just about any anti-Second Amendment scheme gets passed into law.
We have the Electoral College to thank for keeping those anti-Second Amendment extremists out of the Oval Office. It fulfilled its purpose. The Founders of this country wanted to ensure that no one state could have the power to flip the entire country in a completely different direction.
This same principle was why the Senate was set up for equal representation – so that Wyoming or South Dakota had a forum where they would be on equal footing with California. What upsets many anti-Second Amendment extremists is the fact that America was never meant to be a pure democracy. It was meant to have safeguards against the type of passionate rush to deprive people of their rights we just saw in New Zealand, in Australia in 1996, and elsewhere. It was having enough senators to maintain a filibuster that saved us from a permanent ban on modern multi-purpose semi-automatic rifles (not to mention pistols and shotguns).
The fact of the matter remains that this compact remains a threat – one that is looming. The next time anti-Second Amendment extremists seize control of a state legislature and governorship, they will try to pass this with the goal of making it easier for California to effectively have all the say in a Presidential election. We could see a legalization of such tactics as “ballot harvesting” to help states like California, Illinois, and New York – all of which are controlled at the present time by anti-Second Amendment extremists in both their legislative and executive branches – proceed to rack up a decisive popular vote margin.
Don’t believe me? Look at H.R. 1, the so-called “For the People” act that passed the House of Representatives earlier this year. This 706-page monstrosity is intended to effectively rig the system against Second Amendment supporters. Thankfully, it won’t pass for now, but it does mean that Second Amendment supporters must maintain their vigilance.
But all of our eggs cannot be placed into just thwarting the National Popular Vote Compact and bills like HR 1. Second Amendment supporters expand their outreach to areas they normally don’t go, and that groups like the NRA and GOA must start hiring good translators. If not, then the National Popular Vote could be the eventual death blow for efforts to defend the Second Amendment.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
As a Colorado resident it looks like big city Denver is deciding our vote looking a hole lot like taxation without representation
The only people who complain about the Electoral College is the liberals who want us to become Socialists or and Communists. The EC has serve us well for over 200 years and we do not need people who think like nancy PIG-LOSI to change it. The phony numbers of voters in the Communist state of Los Angeles would elect scumbags every 2 years if the rules were changed. There are other areas that have more registered voters than citizens eligible to vote. I call that illegal don’t you? We don’t need the rules changed we need the prosecutors to do… Read more »
Old Marine >>> All of this Bitching accomplishes nothing, only action works, something the Democrats know how to use. I am seriously disappointed in the NRA. They are always on the defense trying to keep the gun grabbers at bay with lobying. They act as an organization that just is money hungry and quite useless in really accomplishing anything. There are millions of members that they could use be a more effective way. If they did the right thing they would go after the Law Breakers, of which is the Oath Breakers are easy to indite Public Servant criminals. There… Read more »
Constitutionally, the State Legislatures have all power to decide how electors selected. There is no constitutional requirement that the SLs even allow a popular vote. There were states up into the 1860s that had the SL pick which candidate got the electoral college votes for that state without a vote by the state’s citizens. So if your SL decides that the votes go to the candidate who wins the national popular vote, you are just SOL. Article II Section 1 “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the… Read more »
If the Electoral College is to be done away with, let’s do this: there are a bit over 3,000 counties in the U.S., each one that carries a particular candidate for President gets ONE “ELECTORAL” vote. Then the COUNTRY can speak and be heard and the few big cities cannot rule over the rest of us.
Not EXTRA POWER but EQUAL POWER.
If you think the electoral college is bad, look at states like New York and Pennsylvania where large populations in small parts of the state determine socialist outcomes. NYC determines socialist laws for the rest of the state. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton population centers vote for socialist laws while the rest of the state votes against them. Why do you think democrats are pushing reparations and illegal immigration? Buying votes, boys and girls, buying votes. If Americans won’t vote for democrats, illegals will. Democrats / socialists / communists – the best liars America has to offer. Remember Venezuela?
Absolutely correct, what you have said.
So very true & it seams as though it may take another civil war to change the demasses attitude .
Keith, I do not believe a “civil war” will ever happen again in the nation of America. Sure we will have some cities in some state suffer riots and such, but America is too big, and most Americans, on both sides, are too busy, uncaring or flat out lazy to actually take up arms. You have to remember that in a civil war, you may find yourself fighting someone you know. Are you willing to injure or kill you dad, your mom, your children, your friends… Are you and your fellow patriots going to get in your vehicles and drive… Read more »
It would seem this plan is unconstitutional and a class action suit would end it.
Not really, it would require changing our current constitution as prescribed within the document itself so a class action lawsuit would have nothing to do it.
It would require an act of congress plus 2/3’s of states to concur.
Increasingly I am of the opinion that only a well engineered blue state /red state “divorce” will save us from a civil war bloodbath. There is still time.
No. A ‘divorce ‘ will not stop a civil war. It will only make it more one sided. Also it will aid enemy countries to succeed in an invasion. Like Kalifornia vs. Texas.
I’m a Coloradoan gun owner, and I fully support the popular vote. This article is horse shit. The popular vote doesn’t ‘give California all the power’ it gives every voter a vote that matters. The electoral college was created because without computers, actually counting every ballot was near impossible.
Congrats. Your vote now has much less influence. There is a reason the Framers created a Republic and not a democracy. Pure genius…..
In a true Democracy, everyone would each have ONE equal vote. That sounds really nice and all “PC/Touchy-Feely” until you (the people that would propose such a thing) realize that you are a sheep sitting at the “voting table” with two wolves deciding what you will have for dinner after your vote.
The only thing that is horse shit is your comment. If you think “The electoral college was created because without computers, actually counting every ballot was near impossible” then you should probably go and do some research and get the truth about why the founding fathers put the electoral college in place. We are not a Democracy. We are a Republic. We don’t have a popular vote so that NY & Caly can’t rule the country. Get a life and get some real facts before you spew your garbage.
Yep
The Electoral College had nothing to do with counting votes. It was about equality across the country so that small states would have influence and a single large state couldn’t drive the nation’s direction. Great that you’re a gun owner. If this trend continues, you won’t be forever, and your children/grandchildren won’t even have the choice. Even Democrat voters will lose their gun rights to the Democrat communist agenda.
That you probably believe the cancerous BS you’re spewing is the most troubling aspect of your inane babbling. Despite the numerous sad examples of the “Tyranny of the majority” and subsequent failure in communist and socialist countries, you blindly and willfully continue their lemming-like rush over the economic and cultural cliff.
First off I could care less if you are a gun owner. Second off I am betting that you are a paid troll from media matters or some other same type organization. Third? So you do in fact believe in direct democracy. Which is commonly called mob rule.
Let us quote Mr. Marc Schulman…this might clarify why… WHY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE by Marc Schulman The Electoral College was created for two reasons. The first purpose was to create a buffer between population and the selection of a President. The second as part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to the smaller states. The first reason that the founders created the Electoral College is hard to understand today. The founding fathers were afraid of direct election to the Presidency. They feared a tyrant could manipulate public opinion and come to power. Hamilton wrote in the… Read more »
Wow, they had computers back then. I had no idea. i thought that they came about after WW2.
It’s really too bad you’re “a Coloradoan”. You obviously voted for our current legilators..giving us an.all Dem majority in the state legislation… house, senate and governor. What have they done? They have instituted “sex ed” in all schools that require teaching all grade levels about sexual orientations (homosexuality), transgender crap, etc.. They have passed a ‘red flag’ law attempting to take away basic individual rights guaranteed by the Constituion and making a person guilty without any legal proceeding. They have passed a law completely in opposition to the voters rejection of major oil and gas boundaries in essence telling the… Read more »
how you liking your first man?
“Being a gun owner” doesn’t make them any more of a spokesperson for the Second Amendment than owning a Ford Pinto makes one a spokesperson for NASCAR.
A democracy is two wolves and s sheep voting on the lunch menu.
Freedom is a well armed sheep taking exception to the democratic vote.
Let’s get two REAL pro-Second Amendment individuals along with you to vote on whether you are stupid or not. I’m betting you will object to mob rule of democracy.
nate,i’m sorry but your wrong,the founding fathers knew exactly what they were doing and it had nothing to do with the impossibility of counting votes.
22 big cities practically rule over the rest of the nation as it is. Let’s break it down to one electoral vote per county. Socialists need to move to one of their model utopias like Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea or even Iran.
Great Coloradoan tell us again about bull shit. you must have a belly full of it. You are 180% backwards and a unAmerican. This country is a Constitutional republic and not a demoracy. Get on the right side of this country or go back to the shithole you came from. Gun owner, yea right.
Whether you are a gun owner or not, the electoral college was not meant for a pre-computer world but was meant for a country that has diverse interests.
As a Coloradian, I am willing to help fight and reverse this bill. A bill that was passed during a blizzard so the opposition could not be heard.
I am unwilling to give up the voice of Colorado, even if it is not the one I would like to see.
Contrary to what another commenter here says, this is a serious threat to the 2A, but also to the Republic overall. When one party cannot get their way, they seek to undermine the electoral college so they can get their way. That’s TREASON, people!! So are you just gonna sit there and let it happen, or are you gonna MAN UP and DO SOMETHING to these traitors and enemies of liberty??
If you aren’t willing to water the tree of liberty with the blood of tyrants, then you are COWARDS.
FHRFC. Exactly what would you have us do? Seriously, I want to know from people like you, who post things like yours, what plan(s) do you offer? What details do you want to implement?
How do plan to carry out your ideas?
Full Metal Civil War? Impeachment(s); citizens’ arrests?
Please educate us with your plans. What and how do you plan to organize the million gun owners?
npvc commie d-sucker states
We’re not voting ourselves out of this cluster folks.
Your ideas and conclusions here are so full of shit! You are nothing more than a fearmonger.
You seem to have some kind of opposition to the opinions in this article. I have no idea what they are, though. Maybe it’s for the better.