Oh, the sound of Democrats panicking over a constitutional convention is like music to Republican ears. Imagine the sheer terror gripping liberal strongholds like California at the thought of opening up the nation’s founding document for a little modern fine-tuning. After all, why let a good crisis go to waste when the potential to rein in federal overreach or restore fiscal sanity is on the table?
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: Article V of the Constitution. It’s simple and brilliant. If two-thirds of state legislatures call for a convention to propose amendments, Congress is obligated to convene one. It’s been on the books since the beginning, but Democrats now act like it’s some long-forgotten boogeyman emerging to threaten their progressive utopia. Why? Because Republicans might actually use it to fix decades of reckless governance.
Take Scott Wiener, the Democratic state senator from San Francisco, as Exhibit A of liberal alarmism. He’s so rattled by the idea of a “runaway convention” that he’s introducing legislation to rescind California’s long-forgotten calls for one. Never mind that these calls, some dating back over a century, include proposals like banning polygamy or creating a world federal government. Clearly, the sky hasn’t fallen in the interim. But now, with Republicans poised to control Congress and the White House, Wiener is convinced that GOP state legislatures are scheming to rewrite the Constitution and “shred” the progressive playbook.
And that’s the real issue here, isn’t it? Democrats aren’t worried about the Constitution—they’re worried about losing the unchecked power they’ve accumulated through activist judges, bureaucratic overreach, and endless federal spending. A convention could pave the way for something they fear most: accountability. Think balanced budgets, term limits for Congress, or—gasp—protections for the unborn. To them, these aren’t reforms; they’re existential threats.
Restore American Power! Sign the petition in support of an Article V convention for these 3 essential topics:
1. Placing term limits on federal officials
2. Imposing a balanced federal budget
3. Limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal governmenthttps://t.co/YfcUpRGJyP pic.twitter.com/4YSQzpCG1Q— Convention of States (@COSProject) December 14, 2024
Of course, Republican leaders like Representative Jodey Arrington are taking the possibility seriously, and why shouldn’t they? Arrington points out that Congress should have called a convention in 1979 when enough states had already requested one. The fact that it didn’t happen then is a travesty, but today’s political climate might just make it feasible. With 28 Republican-controlled state legislatures and a handful of swing states in play, we’re inching closer to that magic number of 34.
Democrats, meanwhile, are scrambling to pull their dusty calls off the books. California, New York, and Illinois are in full retreat, fearing that their decades-old applications could be the final straw triggering a conservative revolution. Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are also eyeing rescissions. It’s almost entertaining to watch—the same people who claim to champion democracy are now quivering at the thought of states exercising their constitutional rights.
And let’s not forget the irony of California’s Gavin Newsom. His grandstanding attempt to call for a gun-control amendment last year included a poison-pill clause to prevent it from being hijacked by other states. Talk about a lack of confidence in your allies, Gavin. It’s almost as if he knew his proposal was more about grabbing headlines than achieving any substantive policy changes.
The beauty of a constitutional convention, though, lies in its uncertainty. Critics like David Super and Erwin Chemerinsky fret over the lack of rules and guidelines, but isn’t that part of the appeal? It’s a reminder that the Constitution wasn’t designed to be a rigid straitjacket—it’s a living framework meant to evolve. And evolve it should, especially when Washington seems incapable of governing responsibly.
Some Dems fear constitutional convention pic.twitter.com/7RUnkqwxfL
— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) December 17, 2024
So, let the liberals squawk about “uncharted territory.” Republicans see an opportunity to restore balance, rein in federal excess, and return power to the states where it belongs. After all, isn’t that what the founders intended? If Democrats are losing sleep over the prospect, perhaps they should take it as a sign that the country is long overdue for this conversation.
