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The Incredibles vs. The Underminer: Defeating Federal Overreach

Federal overreach is like the Underminer. For years we’ve either not seen or ignored the warnings, as it quietly munched away at the roots of our freedom. Now it’s in our face. But we can still reclaim our sovereignty using Article V.

In a time of aggressive overreach from D.C., the states and the people must respond with equal force. -Mark Meckler, “HR-1: The Death of Democracy Act” (Newsmax, March 10, 2021)

As the situation in Afghanistan roils our emotions and outrages our national conscience, it belongs rightly at the top of every American’s list of urgent concerns. But it is time – past time – to reclaim our sovereignty over our government. The battle is now so pitched that we can’t ignore it. Inaction isn’t an option, unless we’re willing to lose. And although there are many fronts on this battle, one – namely, federal overreach aimed at state elections – deserves special attention.

Behold the Underminer: There is a scene at the conclusion of the movie ‘The Incredibles’ where the superhero family, having come out of witness protection to combat the gadget-enthralled, childishly self-absorbed megalomaniac, Syndrome, defeat him, only to be confronted with something even more sinister: a loathsome, slug-like creature, wielding an enormous drill, bursting up through their sidewalks, ruining their cities. It roars its intentions: “Behold the Underminer! I am always beneath you. . . but nothing is beneath me . . . soon all will tremble before me!”

Federal overreach is like the Underminer. For years we’ve either not seen it or ignored the warning signs, as it quietly munched away at the roots of our freedom. Now it’s in our face, smashing through the civilization we had thought sturdy, if not impregnable. Our institutions - education, government, media, medicine, culture, corporations, finance, churches - are a chewed-up mess. The frenzy has built to the point that we now have a blood-in-the-water atmosphere.

State Election Accountability Laws Are On the Menu: There is nothing more critical to our survival as a free people than free and fair elections. But a free people, able to demand election accountability and transparency – that bonbon is ready-to-eat, to the Underminer. Taking control of our state elections is a key goal of some in Congress. They would like nothing better than to see the election fiasco of 2020 become the new status quo. And even though H.R. 1 is “down” with Ted Cruz’ remarkable 3:30 AM heroics on August 11 (see
"Ted Cruz derails democrats late-night push to pass federal election takeover" (The Daily Wire, August 12, 2021), it is not “out.” The current effort is named The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and like the now-defunct H.R. 1, it makes voter ID laws already enacted in 35 states illegal, and thereby prevents the states who would follow suit from doing so.

Obfuscation, Manipulation: A tale of two polls. The swift return of this horrible bill is cause for real alarm. It is vital for Americans to be alert to the way polls are manipulated to seem to show support. For example, a poll conducted by Data for Progress and published January 22, 2021 purported to show that 67% of 1167 likely voters polled support HR-1. The breakdown of support by party was as follows: 56% of Republican voters, 68% of independent voters, and 77% of Democrat voters.

But look at the spin. According to the website, here’s what the voters were actually asked (emphasis added):

The “For the People Act” has been introduced in Congress. Supporters of the bill say it would limit the influence of big money in politics by empowering small donors; make voting easier and more secure; end gerrymandering; and give the public more information about who is lobbying our government. Opponents say it would be an overreach by the federal government and that states should control their own elections. Do you support or oppose the “For the People Act”?

Poll by Data for Progress
(Emphasis added).

Using that context, the pollsters trumpeted that 67% of national likely voters would “support H.R.1.”. But notice something: the statements the voters are asked to agree with are the poll sponsor's conclusions about the results of the bill, and not the specifics of the bill. Unless the voter polled understands specifically what is in the bill, their agreement with conclusions about the result of the bill does not translate into support for the bill itself.

A Counterexample: A recent poll asked whether voters should have to show voter ID in order to cast a ballot. 81% of 1200 voters agreed. Now that question is not a conclusion or result of a law, it is the specifics of the law. See the difference? It allows us to evaluate whether the answer given by the person polled supports the conclusion of the poll.

One indicator of the strength of support for the proposition for voter ID was a follow-up question in the same poll. When told that opponents argue voter ID requirements can disenfranchise low-income voters, 74% supported providing free identification (presumably, state subsidized) to voters who need one rather than discard the identification requirement. See Poll: support grows for voter ID (TheHill). Yet the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, like its predecessor, prohibits states from passing voter ID laws that are stricter than those passed in the HAVA act of 2000. HAVA only requires voter ID for first-time registration, and that ID can be as simple as a bank statement or utility bill.

Cheering On Election Integrity Efforts: At an August 15, 2021 Public Hearing on Election Integrity in Snohomish, organized by Convention of States supporter Rep. Robert Sutherland, the call went out loud and clear: restore election integrity to Washington State. You can view the hearing here: A.U.D.I.T. Public Hearing ~Snohomish, WA - YouTube We must insist that our votes count and that our legal votes are not cancelled by illegal votes. We want clean voter rolls. We want those who vote in our Washington election to really be citizens of Washington State. Why? Because only Washington citizens must live under the laws our representatives enact. And those same state laws govern Washington State’s contribution to the national election. Strengthening state election laws is an appropriate and powerful response to federal overreach. And there’s even more we can do.

Article V Preserves Citizen Self-Determination: Right now, you can contact your Representative or Senator Washington State Legislature and let them know to oppose the so-called John Lewis Voting Rights bill. Here is the link: wa.gov members by district and counties. You can join with Washingtonians who have already organized to fight for state election integrity. Here's an example: WEiCU. And you can sign the petition below, or ask your friends to sign, calling for an Article V Convention of States. That’s equal force to combat this aggressive federal overreach. We should remember that any American who considers themselves on the side of self-determination and liberty and is willing to step up their game can be, in the words of that now-classic movie, a “Super.”

Let’s say “‘Bye” to the Underminer.

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Created:	2021-08-31 21:39 GMT
Updated:	2021-09-08 07:00 GMT
Published:	2021-09-01 07:00 GMT
Converted:	2025-11-11 11:58 GMT
Change Author:	Kira Gilbert
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