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Recently, a friend of mine stopped short our banter about the initiative process to say something like this:

“Paul, you and I have given a great deal of thought to government, to politics. I think we very much agree across the board, on free markets and constitutionally-limited government. Yet, when we talk about the initiative process, you seem to see it as wholly positive, while I’m constantly afraid of what the Left might do.

“Aren’t you afraid of the Left? And what the Left can do with the ballot initiative?”

“No,” I said, “I’m not.”

I explained that my stand isn’t one of bravery. It’s one of realism.

There are really two issues: (1) fear of the Left, and (2) fear of the voters passing laws through the ballot initiative process available in 24 states and most local jurisdictions.

If the Left is defined as the Democrats in Washington, then, yes, I’m plenty scared. Policies do have consequences.

But Washington’s enormous and much-too-malevolent power has nothing to do with voter initiatives . . . which, after, don’t exist at the federal level. Not surprisingly, neither partisan pack of congressional leaders are pushing a federal voter initiative.

Furthermore, by this major-party definition, I’m afraid of the Right, too. Look what enormities united... >>>