The 28th Amendment
We turn to AI to come up with a proposal for new Amendment concerning the Presidency that just might keep us from getting into the mess we're in right now..
This country is in deep shite.
The depth of said shite has already been documented by those better suited than I. And the current solutions offered don’t fill one with hope: Impeachment has been tried…twice. And a third time would probably yield the same result. And invoking Article 4 of the 25th Amendment sounds like a great idea…but it has to be invoked by the VEEP and endorsed by at least eight members of a Cabinet that, along with the aforementioned VEEP, has been complicit in the sins of Dear Leader.
Considering how we got in this mess, I have considered a way out, or at least a way not to get into this calamity again. It is obvious that the solution is a Constitutional one. But I lack the ability create a draft for an Amendment that could achieve some of what I’d like to accomplish.
But A.I. can…
So, I fed my requirements into the magic Microsoft CoPilot machine, and it cam out with the proposal below. Now this is a rough draft, but the two things I like are a definite age limit, what I hope is a fair replacement for the dreaded Electoral College, and a way to rid ourselves of bad POTI minus the bull-shirt of impeachment.
Please read…
Draft Constitutional Amendment: The Presidential Reform and Democratic Stability Amendment
Section 1. Age and Eligibility Requirements
No person shall be eligible to the office of President or Vice President unless that person has attained the age of thirty‑five years and has not attained the age of seventy years on the date of inauguration.
No person shall be eligible to the office of President or Vice President unless that person has: a. been a citizen of the United States for not fewer than twenty years, b. resided within the United States for not fewer than fourteen years, and c. satisfied such additional qualifications as Congress may establish by law, provided that such qualifications shall be uniform and shall not abridge the equal rights of citizens.
Section 2. Presidential Campaign Duration and Primary Regulation
No person shall declare candidacy for President or Vice President, nor shall any political committee raise or expend funds for such candidacy, earlier than three months prior to the first national party convention of the election year.
Congress shall by law establish a uniform national primary schedule, including provisions for run‑off primaries where no candidate attains a majority of votes cast.
No primary or caucus for the office of President or Vice President shall occur earlier than six months before the general election.
Congress shall have power to enforce this section by appropriate legislation, including regulation of campaign finance, advertising, and political communications during the restricted period.
Section 3. Constructive Vote of No Confidence
The President shall remain in office only so long as the Congress maintains its confidence in the President’s ability to discharge the powers and duties of the office.
A Motion of No Confidence may be introduced in the House of Representatives only upon a written petition signed by not fewer than two‑fifths of the Members of each of the two largest political parties in that chamber, or by a joint written certification of the Speaker of the House, the Minority Leader of the House, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Senate.
No Motion of No Confidence shall be considered unless it names a qualified constitutional officer to serve as Acting President upon its adoption, and such individual has consented in writing.
A Motion of No Confidence shall not be voted upon until ten calendar days have elapsed following its introduction.
A Motion of No Confidence shall be adopted only upon the affirmative vote of three‑fifths of the Members of the House of Representatives and three‑fifths of the Members of the Senate, voting separately.
Upon adoption of a Motion of No Confidence, the President shall immediately vacate the office, and the named individual shall assume the office of Acting President.
Except as provided in Section 8 of this Article, a special national election for President and Vice President shall be held not fewer than ninety nor more than one hundred twenty days after adoption of the motion.
If a Motion of No Confidence is adopted during the final twelve months of a presidential term, no special election shall be held, and the Acting President shall serve the remainder of the term.
No more than one Motion of No Confidence may be introduced in any twelve‑month period, nor within the first six months of a presidential term.
Impeachment for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors shall remain available as a separate and distinct remedy.
Section 4. Replacement of the Electoral College
The President and Vice President shall be elected by a National Equal Weight Vote System, herein defined as follows: a. Each state shall conduct a popular vote for President and Vice President. b. Each state shall be assigned one electoral unit per one million residents, rounded to the nearest whole number, provided that no state shall have fewer than three electoral units. c. Electoral units shall be awarded proportionally to candidates based on each state’s popular vote. d. The candidate receiving a majority of all electoral units nationwide shall be elected.
If no candidate receives a majority of electoral units, a national run‑off election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of electoral units.
Congress shall have power to enforce this section by appropriate legislation, including provisions for apportionment, recounts, and uniform national voting standards.
Section 5. Transition and Implementation
This Article shall take effect on the January 20 following its ratification, except where otherwise provided.
Congress shall enact such legislation as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Article, including the administration of special elections, primary schedules, and the apportionment of electoral units.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to diminish the rights of states to administer elections, except where explicitly provided herein.
Now, this is just a rough draft, and I ca think of an improvement or two, such as concrete additional qualification requirements. But the revamped electoral process, replacing or augmenting the impeachment procedure, and an age limit that prevent any future situations that confuse being aged with wisdom are concepts, I think, are worth discussing.
What are your thoughts? Your comments here are welcome, and I’ll continue to pursue this.