In case you did not notice, were living in a cave, have not been on social media for a year, have not turned on your television or been stranded on the International Space Station due to a malfunctioning Boeing spacecraft, there was a primary election in Missouri last Tuesday.
Thousands of Missourians have been working hard in efforts to have their preferred candiate win their primary. I have been door knocking in my area and helping place signs for candidates I supported. There was a noticeable change in tone the weekend prior to Tuesday’s primary. People had had enough of the commercials, the mailers and campaign signs. Many races had turned negative and campaign efforts had turned into noise.
That is the nature of modern-day campaigning. If you wait until the next election cycle rolls around to start following politics, it is very difficult to make a decision that truly reflects your values. Allowing politics to dominate your life is unhealthy unless your career revolves around politics. It is in our best interests to follow along and remain engaged so we can filter the truth from the propaganda that bombards us every two years. That is part of being a self-governing citizens and holding our elected officials accountable for their decisions.
As covered in my last blog, several races had very crowded fields. This resulted in only one Republican candidate in a statewide receiving over 50% of the popular vote. According to the Missouri Secretary of State’s office as of the morning of August 10th, here is the percentage of the popular vote received by the winning candidate for the two major parties.
Winner’s Percentage of the Popular Vote
| Office | Democrat | Republican |
| Governor | 50.20% | 39.40% |
| Lt Governor | 64.90% | 31.30% |
| Secretary of State | 40.80% | 24.40% |
| Attorney General | 100% | 63% |
| Treasurer | 100% | 41.50% |
The lack of a plurality in the Republican primary was a function of the number of candidates splitting the Republican Party vote. Missouri has been a reliably Republican state with that party holding every statewide elected office and majorities in both Houses of the Legislature. It was not that long ago when that was not the case.
Over the past 32 years, the Democrat Party held the Governorship from 1993-2004 and 2009-2016. The Democrat Party had majorities in the Senate from 1992-2000 and the House from 1992-2002. There is a natural ebb and flow to party control depending on the will of the people and the policies advocated by each party.
Voter turnout is higher in the November General Election with Missouri’s running 40-50% recently. Historical turnout in the August Primaries runs in the mid-teens. Turnout in the April Municipal Elections is considered good if it breaks into double-digits. In a world where citizens regularly risk their lives to vote, voter participation in the United States is pathetic.
The chaos in the most recent presidential election in Venezuela is a real-time example of how precious our franchise is. Current President Nicholas Maduro is seeking a third term to continue the Socialist’s 25-year rule of that country. Exit polling showed overwhelming support for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Her party claims to have garnered over 70% of the popular vote. Regardless of the actual result, Maduro claimed victory the day after Venezuela’s election.
What has resulted is a meltdown in their already tenuous civil society. There have been mass protests in the streets by the opposition party. Independent pollsters and international election monitors have questioned Maduro’s claim of victory. Most countries have declared there is no possible way the socialist legitimately prevailed in the election. Predictably, authoritarian regimes have come to Maduro’s defense. The governments of Russia, Cuba, Bolivia and Nicaragua have all hailed Maduro’s “victory.” In countries that reject the rule of law, it is not who casts the ballots but who counts the ballots that truly matter.
Which brings us to Convention of States Action. Our primary mission is to develop a team of self-governing citizen activists who are engaged in the political process to advocate for the Constitution, our Founding Principles and the Rule of Law. These are goals that require daily efforts and eternal vigilance. The forces of tyranny are unrelenting. We see examples of this in our daily society. What begin as “reasonable” encroachments of our God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness advance to the federal government compelling the purchase of health insurance as a requirement of legal citizenship and to the federal government attempting to mandate everyone agree to an experimental medical treatment.
THIS STOPS WHEN WE THE PEOPLE DECIDE TO STOP IT.
The Framers understood history. They knew the universal tendency of government is to grow and subjugate their citizens to its authority. They had lived this experience in real-time. About 150 years had passed since the adoption of the Mayflower Compact establishing a government structure in the colonies. The colonists were still British subjects but, were granted a measure of local control under Governors selected by the British Crown. Freedom disappears slowly and then all at once. Gradually, the rights the colonists enjoyed as British subjects began to erode. Then, as in every other example throughout history, the violations of sovereignty accelerated. To the point where the colonists decided to do something about it.
Revolutions do not normally work out well for the revolutionaries. Government is typically victorious. The Framers understood the importance of a stable system of laws, division of government authority and protections of individual liberty. These principles were based upon the Laws of Nature, Nature’s God and the consent of the governed.
When government violates its just authority, it is the obligation of the people to provide the course correction. The Framers provided a peaceful and constitutional remedy for government tyranny in Article V. Government will not voluntarily act to restrain itself. We The People are the ones who must impose these restraints. We are best positioned to do this if we understand our Founding Principles, know why our Constitution was drafted in the way it was, know the issues and are engaged in the political process.
We need leaders committed to these goals. Our country needs these leaders. Our families need these leaders. Will you be one of those leaders? Go to www.conventionofstates.com/take_action to get involved. Our Convention of States Missouri Team will contact you personally to help identify the right fit for you. We have a country to save. Let’s get serious and save it.
In liberty,
Brett
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