Re: Why the U.S. needs a constitutional convention
Do you mean that you think electing a president with a radically different philosophy is all that's needed? If so, I think that it would be helpful, but only temporary.
I'm actually in favor of creating a new branch of government that would meet every few years or so to review the conduct of the other branches relative to its constitutionality, particularly the Supreme Court decisions that affect constitutional law. I agree that for a constitution to be a really meaningful restraint on power, it has to be strictly construed and narrowly interpreted.
The Court is definitely sensitive to public opinion, and the President certainly has a disproportionate effect on public opinion. I don't know about his directly influencing them, though with the currently repulsive partisan justices I suppose that's possible.
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