Tom Korologos Former ambassador, consultant and Republican strategist :
Long live the divinely inspired filibuster - a vital tenet of democracy and the Constitution.
The United States was NOT built on “majority rule.” It was built on protection of the minority. And that doctrine did not start with the authors of the Constitution. How far back do you want to go? Plato and Aristotle talked about it and it was eloquently espoused by Madison in the Federalist Papers where he warned about “The tyranny of the majority.” The “separation of powers clause” in the Constitution was adopted as a protection against any branch of government from growing too powerful and taking away the people’s rights from the other branches.
Furthermore, take a look at the arithmetic all over the federal system: TWO-THIRDS vote to override a veto. TWO-THIRDS vote to pass treaties. TWO-THIRDS of both Houses of Congress to amend the Constitution before it can even go to the states where THREE-FOURTHS of the legislatures must ratify it.
Our system provides that ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of a jury is required to convict. And in the very first amendment we discover that not even ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of a vote can create a law because it says: “Congress shall make NO law respecting establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.”
Bless the filibuster.