Thursday • July 31 • 2025
Vol.XVII • No.XXXI
Manchester, N.H.
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to have fun at Chris Sununu’s expense. I’m not sure how the Sununu Homers will take it, but they’re not precisely Trump voters, so I doubt the President cares.
RINO Chris Sununu recently stated that, “I’m not running for president in 2024. Beating Trump is more important.” No, he’s not running for President because he’s polling at Zero, and has no chance of winning. The people of New Hampshire have gotten wise to Chris Sununu, and they no longer like or respect him. I never liked him, but always did whatever he asked for the State, because I wanted to help New Hampshire, and I did!
I would not go so far as to say the people of New Hampshire “no longer respect him.” He is still a popular governor, though much less so than in earlier terms. He has repeatedly failed tests from COVID to the NH9 to reneging on promises to the conservative and pro-life base. That has cost him support from Republicans.
For a guy from a family that thinks they represent Republicans, he could have done a better job. And given that he barely moved the needle as a potential 2024 Presidential candidate in a Republican primary, well – that’s why he’s not running for that job.
As for why he’s not running for Governor again, the speculation continues. From the sexual assault laundromat to the Pandora Papers to potential civil suits for wrongful arrest, there are distractions aplenty if anyone was inclined to push the issues.
We can’t say if anything will come of any of that, but come November 2024, New Hampshire will have a different governor. I’d say new, but until we know who it is, we can’t say things will be much, if at all, different, and that’s not all bad. Sununu did a fine job with some of our natural rights and not so much with others.
Gun rights were protected, and taxes were reduced or eliminated. The occupational license situation got a lot better. There were plenty of plusses, but tossing the First and Fourth Amendments out the window during COVID did more harm than those did good for his base. When they rebelled, he picked up on the Democrat’s fear and demonizing of MAGA Republicans and used it to “other” them.
Efforts to roll back mandates did not regain their lost favor, and at the end of the day, his biggest contribution to them was keeping a real Democrats ass out of the governor’s chair.
The post Donald Trump Makes Fun of “Polling at Zero” Chris Sununu appeared first on Granite Grok.
As promised in the last Monday Memes, I have an overflow. My meme cup runneth over. Fairly certain about a Friday Overflow-Overflow.
Note – for those waiting for Survival Sunday, that’s going to take me a few weeks to get back up to speed. But for now, let the mayhem, mockery, and ridicule resume:
*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***
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A Palestinian Explains Hamas
Related (links only):
Black South African Voices for Israel – YouTube
Why Isn’t There a Palestinian State? – YouTube
Does Israel Occupy the West Bank? – YouTube
A Black South African on Israel and Apartheid – YouTube
Debunking the Palestine Lie – YouTube
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BUMPER STICKERS FOR SALE!
Show why you own guns! They’re TYRANT VACCINE. Bumper Sticker | Zazzle
(You may need to set to PG-13 as the panty-twisters got into a tizzy over this one. Same for this one.
On trusting Democrats Bumper Sticker | Zazzle
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And you think you’re just going to vote them out in 2024????
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Top WEF Official: ‘Dangerous Conspiracy Theorists Must Be Eliminated’ – The People’s Voice (thepeoplesvoice.tv)
Harari pointed out that the world is “too complex” for powerful people to control it.
“The global cabal theory has many variations, but basically, there is a small group of people, a cabal, that secretly controls everything that is happening in the world,” Harari declared.
“All the wars, all the revolutions, all the epidemics, everything that is happening is controlled by this very small group of people, who are of course evil and have bad intentions.”
This glib dismissal that there could be such a cabal, even as Klaus and others openly discuss a rule by the Elites, write about it in books over decades, and meet in Davos and other choice locations where people discuss the increasing trust amongst those same Elites with an aim of forming a world government, brings to mind this meme from a while ago:
But control of the information flow is critical to tyranny. Just like Orwell’s “1984” sought to redefine and reduce language through Newspeak, thus denying The People the very words that could be used to dissent, organize, and thus foment rebellion, the NWO architects use this desire to destroy any information flow that challenges their Narrative. And while I can’t say I’m surprised, I’m vastly disappointed at so many US pols seeking similar power:
Video: Mitt Romney Argues That It Shouldn’t Be Illegal For Government To Use Big Tech For Censorship (infowars.com)
Though not surprised that the Fascists Progressives want it:
Pew: Seventy Percent of Democrats and Democratic-Leaning Independents Support Speech Limits – JONATHAN TURLEY
As Frontpagemag founder David Horowitz said:
“Inside Every Progressive Is A Totalitarian Screaming To Get Out”
I would add – anyone who thinks they are better than others is taking steps towards wanting power over others. For their own good, of course. This is a dangerous path.
Just remember, these people truly believe they are doing good. Thus, we slip-slide to Hell with good intentions.
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Although I was in a country where I didn’t speak the dominant languages, most people did speak English. And, actually, computer translators worked quite well – when I could get a reliable phone signal. When looking for something specific in a store, for example one of the ubiquitous small pharmacies, I’d make my list while on the wireless at the apartment, translate it, and then merely show it to the clerk when I got there. I did ask, once, about Ivermectin over-the-counter. Nope. Prescription required even there, alas.
But I was struck, especially as I went for longer walks – e.g., the local megamall less than two miles away – how clean everything was. There was very little litter anywhere (as opposed to my local-neighborhood walks here where the street shoulders are trash dumps). Women walked alone late at night; we’d be out until midnight or later as schedules are shifted late – like in many places in Europe, for example – and I’d see women walking unaccompanied without any apparent fear. My in-law cousin kids would be out late too without their parents. No concerns on the parts of those parents.
This is the benefit of a functioning monoculture and one dominant religion. Everyone spoke the same languages (aside from tourists like me). Racially, either Asian or Russian-Caucasian leftovers. Black people were so uncommon the few that were there stuck out like a sore thumb (my wife commented on one such person we saw that they “had to be” an American, but I didn’t hear them talk). I didn’t see anyone of Latin / Hispanic origin – at least, not recognizably.
Pride in country. Pride in heritage. Pride in keeping the city safe and clean.
Even in Dubai, our transition point, signs discussed the need to adhere to local moral and dress codes. And while nobody here can think I’m a great fan of Islam, I admire the UAE’s commitment to their culture and religion and heritage too. More broadly, both places expected visitors to accommodate to the locals – when in Rome, do as the Romans – and not have the locals bend to those from outside.
Diversity is a strength… nope, my hindquarters it is. A few thoughts on my growing up in a white, Christian nation:
Merry Christmas! | Forward in Christ Magazine
Even understanding I was a Jew, I never had a problem accepting the fundamentally Christian nature of where I lived, nor did I ever take offense at someone wishing me a Merry Christmas. Why should I? Wishing me that means wishing me good things. Joy, peace, good will towards others, charity; these are not strictly Christian things, but I believe are – or should be – universal things that we live by.
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‘People are being MANIPULATED!’ | Neil Oliver says ‘turn your back’ on summer ‘fear mongering’
What NASA and the European Space Agency are admitting but the media are failing to report about our current heat wave – American Thinker
This is fascinating. I had not heard about this. But, yes, water vapor is a far, far more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2… but a volcanic eruption is not within human control.
The IPCC Says No Climate Crisis • Watts Up With That?
Germans Will Need to Turn on Heat as Cold, Wet Weather Sets to Grip Country in Early August • Watts Up With That?
Wrong, USA Today, Ocean Currents Aren’t Near Collapse • Watts Up With That?
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“It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.”
-H. L. Mencken
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Meet America’s New Military Leaders of Tomorrow
Military, and other topics. Our enemies are laughing themselves sick.
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Pick of the post:
Killer. Simple, but to the point. Don’t forget the power of such things:
PJTV: The Power & Danger of Iconography
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Palate cleansers:
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Whale is thinking I shall call him “bath toy”.
The post Meme Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.
The main theme … at least for the time being … of the Kelly Ayotte campaign is that Governor Kelly would stop New Hampshire from becoming Massachusetts. This theme requires us to pretend that New Hampshire isn’t already Massachusetts. For example, it requires us to pretend that New Hampshire does not spend almost as much per pupil on public education as Massachusetts. Per NEA, as of 2021, Massachusetts spent the sixth most, while New Hampshire spent the seventh most:
Viva la difference! Even if it is only between being the seventh biggest spender versus the sixth biggest spender!
But at least in New Hampshire, unlike Massachusetts, the spending goes to teacher’s salaries and not the bureaucracy! Actually, NO … it’s just the opposite:
I’m sorry. I know you’re not supposed to NOT pretend. I’ll try harder.
The post Sorry … New Hampshire Already Is Massachusetts appeared first on Granite Grok.
Someone posted a list of “things you are getting too old to deal with anymore,” and it got me thinking. What, if anything, did I find no longer necessary or a waste of my time? I came up with a few, but they might not be what you’d expect.
First, the article hits a few familiar notes. Older folks don’t seem to have time for hangovers; staying up all night; camping on the ground, or sitting on the floor. Waiting in lines also makes an appearance. Several other pedestrian bullet points made the list.
Keanau Revves is credited with no longer having time to argue with anyone. He’s just like, okay, whatever you say. He’s just not interested in spending time doing that. Too old for it or too wise, or both.
One person observed how odd it was that folks in their 30s and 40s thought they were getting old. No time for that either, perhaps, and is this a product of its subculture or the entire culture? It can be exhausting. Social media, Instagram, Tik Tok. Keeping up wears you out and runs you down? Maybe.
I’ll be 60 in a few weeks, and my body likes to remind me I’m not 30, but I don’t feel old. I have corrective lenses, hearing aids, and maintenance meds but mentally, none of that wears on me. Age is, after all, in your head which means I don’t have a lot of time for health care providers constantly asking me about my mental health or not believing me when I tell them how happy I am most of the time.
The writing doesn’t always suggest it, but it’s true. I’m blessed, very fortunate, even in my current state of employment unpredictability—the impending layoff. Experience has shown me that worrying doesn’t get me anywhere but thinking and acting do. And sometimes, things are just out of your control.
What else?
I don’t have time for jealousy, resentment, or hate. I get accused of hate often enough (by people who neither know me nor have read even one word I’ve written), but I don’t hate or resent anyone. It rots your soul, burns away your humanity, ruins relationships, and blinds you to possibilities. It makes you bitter. Angry. I’m not saying I don’t get mad or frustrated. That’s not the same thing; it’s situational. Resentment and anger can define how you live.
Next! I’m not interested in political or social climbing. I’m not here to impress you with the political characters I’ve met. You don’t see a lot of pictures of me with politicians. I’ve met many at every level, interviews, blah blah blah, but they are not objects to be glamorized or chits to be collected. People drawn to public office are too often those who should be kept from it. They are flawed, human. Not special. Not deserving of elevation beyond the office, they may very well come to abuse. For a time, they may serve as defenders of liberty, but if left unchecked, many abandon the isolation of defending individualism for the kindred comfort of ruling-class despotism.
I also don’t have time for Cults of Personality. Kennedy worship (Camelot) seemed wrong to me. When Obama became a national figure, there were posters, and people made cakes on his birthday. It was so creepy, and it still is. And while I like Trump the Disruptor, and I think he may be one of the few folks in a position at that level of politics to do some of what needs doing, the fandom and adoration can and has – at times – risen to creepy.
Sandy Cortez inspired a comic book. Biden was always a crook and a moron, but the Dems elevated him to messiah. Someone painted Greta Thunberg’s face on the side of a building. George Floyd was a career criminal and drug abuser.
We don’t need building-sized images of politicians or activists in public as if they were third-world dictators. I know where my assh*le is; I don’t need to see yours.
Another thing I find I don’t have time for is implied threats or violence. You might be getting bitter and resentful if you can’t make your point any other way. Yes, I love a colorful metaphor, and the occasional use of vulgarity can add some f****ng flavor to a turn of phrase, but implicit or explicit violence crosses a line. We delete it when we see it in the comments.
Don’t be offended; just choose different words. And remember that the left is violent because their ideology is based on sowing bitter resentment in the blind pursuit of power. Keep your powder dry, patriots. You’ll need that energy if things keep going sideways.
In more mundane matters, I’m not a fan of showers that don’t warm up fast enough, but I still have to wait for them. Slow service. Big government. They all find time for me, and I’ve learned to roll with it as it comes because I don’t want to become bitter and resentful or cranky and angry.
Patience is something worth my time. So is forgiveness. Don’t live angry. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be energized or activated. They are different things.
Life is short. Use the Force for good. Be a happy warrior.
The post A List of Things You Might Be Too Old to Deal With Anymore appeared first on Granite Grok.
It is a shame to have to send this message, but like Joe Biden claims no knowledge of his son’s business dealings, half the country has no knowledge of the President’s crime cartel family.
This ignorance is based on the mainstream media colluding to block any attention to the hearings and Democrat politicians gaslighting the public with skewed accounts. The press and media are supposed to be the public’s government watchdog. They are instead complicit in the cover-up of the most corrupt President and Administration ever. This will be a sad chapter in American history that may never appear in history textbooks.
Dan Goldman (D-NY) was an embarrassing example of the Left’s arrogance and stupidity in their twisted view of Biden’s corruption. After listening to the accounts of a former long-time friend of Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, he faced reporters. He claimed that Joe Biden was simply discussing the weather and exchanging niceties on the twenty phone calls from Hunter Biden during meetings with foreign “benefactors.” Of course, nobody testified to this bizarre interpretation. He then doubled down by saying these calls were part of a deeper level of communication between Joe and Hunter Biden brought on by the illness of Beau Biden. Wow, how deep did he have to dig for that bogus excuse?
Adam Schiff, the sham Representative from California who has aspirations to replace Diane Feinstein as Senator, used his time on the talk shows to talk about the wasted time Republicans are spending on a fake story. This is a bizarre claim from the Rep who fabricated “crimes” to impeach Donald Trump twice. Adam Schiff wouldn’t know a truthful fact if it jumped off the microphone and slapped his pompous face. Schiff is a disgrace and an insult to Congress.
Republican Representatives who listened to the same Devon Archer answers and heard an account of Hunter Biden and his father extorting money from foreign companies and governments by selling the Biden Brand. This is the Biden business. Selling influence is the purpose of the Biden Cartel and the means to grow the family fortune.
Call it spin or gaslighting, but the Republicans are up against a concerted effort by the Democrats and the press to keep most of America in the dark or misinformed. Anyone with an iota of common sense can see a dark side to the Biden family. Aside from Joe’s actions politically or Hunter’s improprieties with drugs, women, and pornography, the apparent disparity between the exorbitant Biden lifestyle and their legitimate income stream is evidence enough there is a problem here. Not only does Joe Biden need to explain to the American people how he parlayed his long political career into a money laundering operation, why his family needs a collection of sham shell companies, the hundreds of unaccounted wire transfers, and the missing tax payments on this illicit income. Apparently, Joe Biden is exempt from paying the fair share he expects from Americans.
A Democrat-controlled Senate will never impeach Joe Biden, nor do we ever want to see a President Kamala Harris. But the House has to accelerate this investigative process and move these committee hearings to an impeachment inquiry phase. That inquiry will be the only way to get the press to stop manipulating the truth and wake up half of the country with their heads in the sand. Joe Biden needs to be exposed sooner than later.
The post Selling The Brand Seems Simple To Understand appeared first on Granite Grok.
You will have by now heard about a small single-engine craft having to make an emergency landing at Hampton Beach. At not on – the plane found a spot of the ocean near the beach to face plant the aircraft.
Hampton has one of the nicest, cleanest beaches in the northeast, and not it can also claim the distinction of being an alternate landing strip; though, after watching these short videos, a clear section of the beach would be a better choice than the water.
A plane crash lands into the ocean off Hampton Beach in New Hampshire on Saturday.
The pilot of the plane was rescued by lifeguards while a group of people were able to drag the aircraft out of the water. pic.twitter.com/sf3P7Es2j3
— Denn Dunham (@DennD68) July 31, 2023
(Union Leader) The fixed-wing Piper PA-18 was pulling an advertising banner when it crashed about 30 yards offshore, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Only the pilot was on board and was able to safely make it to shore.
The pilot has not been identified. The plane is owned by Eugene Gray of North Hampton, according to FAA records.
And from a different angle.
My brother took this in NH Hampton beach today. pic.twitter.com/jZO5mUnpNy
— Tarynn (@Cle0patra2004) July 29, 2023
The FAA cleared the scene and is investigating the emergency landing. No one was injured.
The post ICYMI (Video) – Plane Crash Lands in The Ocean at Hampton Beach. appeared first on Granite Grok.
My name is Jessica Sternberg, and I am running for state representative in the Rockingham District 1 special election. I am a born and raised Granite Stater and am a proud resident of Nottingham.
We want to thank Jessica Sternberg for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.
I am a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in history, and I am currently a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in public policy from the Carsey School of Public Policy. At UNH, I currently serve as the vice-chairman of the UNH College Republicans, where I work to promote Conservative values and host notable Republican voices, such as Karoline Leavitt and Vivek Ramaswamy, on a very liberal campus. Additionally, I serve as treasurer of the New Hampshire Federation of College Republicans, which serves to unite and form a community of college Republicans across the Granite State.
During the 2022 Midterm Elections, I worked as a Field Organizer for the NH Victory Team, of which I knocked over 30,000 doors across Rockingham County for our Republican candidates. Although we came up shorthanded in November, I am very proud of the work done by myself, the entire Victory team, and the candidates that I got to work with along the way. It was an extraordinary experience that taught me how much hard work pays off and if you want change, you need to work hard for it.
I am running for state representative because the balance of power quite literally rests on this election. New Hampshire House Republicans currently hold the slimmest majority in the past 100 years, and we cannot afford to lose this seat to the Democrats. If we lose this seat, we will be looking at a tie with House Democrats, who want to work to undo the NH Advantage by implementing a sales and income tax and restrict parents from knowing what their children are being taught in public schools. If elected, I plan on working with my fellow Republicans to continue to cut taxes, defend our second amendment rights, advocate for our emergency responders and veterans, defend school choice, and support parental rights.
At only 22, I’ve already faced opposition in running for office. I’ve been told by less than a handful of people that I am too young, but if my recent interview with 2022 GOP nominee for Congress Karoline Leavitt has anything to say, it is that I am more than capable of running for office and she has full confidence that I would be a strong conservative voice for the Granite State. The majority of people I’ve talked to believe quite the opposite of the small few who have told me that I’m too young. Talking to voters at the doors, I have found that the residents of Northwood and Nottingham are eager to have a young conservative represent them in Concord. These voters are looking for change and new ideas, and I am willing to bring that with me to the State House.
In closing, I kindly ask for your vote in the Republican primary on August 1st. Our Republican majority is at stake, and now is not the time to be complacent. Please make sure to get out and VOTE!
ENDORSED BY:
Follow my Facebook page Sternberg for New Hampshire, and my Twitter for updates.
Reminder: Content about candidates or by candidates is not an endorsement by GraniteGrok.com or its authors.
The post Jessica Sternberg for State Representative – Rockingham District 1 appeared first on Granite Grok.
Nine experts took it upon themselves to engage in “A systematic review of autopsy findings in death after COVID-19 vaccination.” You didn’t hear about it anywhere in the corporate media, so you can likely guess the results. Sometimes, the vaccine kills people.
Not everyone, of course, or the Climate Cult survivors would be partying in their caves and tree houses or – more likely – starving, cold, and lonely but trying to be happy living in fear and squalor. We didn’t get there yet. Neither COVID nor the cure was a species-ending event. Heck, not even COIVOD-KAREN Republican water carriers have been made politically extinct. But we’ve got this new research to add to the pile of “I told you so.” Small comfort, but most days, you take what you can get.
We’ll start with the background.
The rapid development and widespread deployment of COVID-19 vaccines, combined with a high number of adverse event reports, have led to concerns over possible mechanisms of injury including systemic lipid nanoparticle (LNP) and mRNA distribution, spike protein-associated tissue damage, thrombogenicity, immune system dysfunction, and carcinogenicity. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate possible causal links between COVID-19 vaccine administration and death using autopsies and post-mortem analysis.
They scared everyone, promised a cure, rushed the thing out, slap-dashed a few (score) emergency authorizations together, and then there were a lot of side effects that the cabal dutifully ignored, denied, or hid. But they are real and have since been acknowledged – the side effects. Not out of any sense of integrity or principle, but because the documents proving they knew about them were pried into the public, and there is no escape. Denial, obfuscation, misdirection, but not escape.
Methods: We searched for all published autopsy and necropsy reports relating to COVID-19 vaccination up until May 18th, 2023. We initially identified 678 studies and, after screening for our inclusion criteria, included 44 papers that contained 325 autopsy cases and one necropsy case. Three physicians independently reviewed all deaths and determined whether COVID-19 vaccination was the direct cause or contributed significantly to death.
Next?
Findings: The most implicated organ system in COVID-19 vaccine-associated death was the cardiovascular system (53%), followed by the hematological system (17%), the respiratory system (8%), and multiple organ systems (7%). Three or more organ systems were affected in 21 cases. The mean time from vaccination to death was 14.3 days. Most deaths occurred within a week from last vaccine administration. A total of 240 deaths (73.9%) were independently adjudicated as directly due to or significantly contributed to by COVID-19 vaccination.
In other words, a clinical link exists between administering the “cure” and ending the disease … when it kills the host.
And now for my favorite part:
Interpretation: The consistency seen among cases in this review with known COVID-19 vaccine adverse events, their mechanisms, and related excess death, coupled with autopsy confirmation and physician-led death adjudication, suggests there is a high likelihood of a causal link between COVID-19 vaccines and death in most cases. Further urgent investigation is required for the purpose of clarifying our findings.
This is why no one has reported it. We find for death, which, as noted above, will end your infection. Effective, sure, safe – nope. And no lessons learned unless harm and death are the goal. The annual COVID Flu vaccine has already been lined up alongside Influenza A and B as things that are always around from which we stab people with ineffective treatments.
C’mon, man, it creates jobs. Good paying health care and pharma jobs. Funeral director jobs. What’s wrong with you? Do you hate America?
And don’t listen to those conspiracy theorists using our data against us. It’s not right.
Here’s the paper.
(Zenodo) AUTOPSY REVIEW MANUSCRIPT
The post “There Is a High Likelihood of a Causal Link Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Death” appeared first on Granite Grok.
Edmund Randolph was born into a family with a tradition of public service. His maternal grandfather had been King’s Attorney (attorney general) in colonial Maryland. His paternal grandfather, father, and uncle all held the same position in colonial Virginia. His uncle, Peyton Randolph, served as president of the First and Second Continental Congresses.
Edmund Randolph rose to his family tradition—and exceeded it.
He was born on Aug. 10, 1753, in Williamsburg, Virginia. After attending William and Mary College, he clerked in his father’s law office and, in 1774, was admitted to the bar. When the Revolution began the following year, his parents, who were loyalists, emigrated to Britain. But Edmund stayed to join the Revolution. He enlisted in the Continental Army and became an aide-de-camp to Gen. George Washington.
When Uncle Peyton died leaving Edmund as his heir, the young man obtained a discharge and returned to Virginia to wrap up his uncle’s affairs.
Once back home, his rise was meteoric. In May 1776 he was elected to the Virginia convention tasked with creating a new government, free of British control. Although he was the youngest delegate to the convention, his colleagues placed him on the committee for drafting the new state constitution. Later that year, he was elected attorney general of Virginia, a post he held for a decade.
In September 1786, the Virginia legislature sent Randolph to the Annapolis Convention, along with his cousin James Madison and St. George Tucker. He and his fellow commissioners (delegates) recommended that another interstate convention be held in Philadelphia the following year. The purpose: to design a new political system for America.
Two months later, the Virginia legislature elected Randolph governor of the Commonwealth. As governor, he led his state’s delegation to the Constitutional Convention.
The Constitutional Convention
The convention was called to order on May 25, 1787. Four days later, Randolph rose and delivered a speech outlining the defects in the Articles of Confederation and offering a series of reforms. We know these proposals as the “Virginia Plan.” They became the primary basis for the convention’s discussions for the next eight weeks.
Some writers have assumed that the Virginia Plan was solely Madison’s creation. There is little evidence for this, and it seems unlikely. A delegation comprising such luminaries as Randolph, George Washington, George Mason (the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights), and George Wythe (America’s first law professor) would not rubberstamp the work of any one man.
Randolph participated vigorously, and usually successfully, in the convention deliberations—sometimes, but not always, in alliance with Madison. Randolph bore primary responsibility for constitutional clauses that:
One of Randolph’s greater moments was when he teamed up with John Dickinson of Delaware to ensure that only the directly elected House of Representatives—not the indirectly elected Senate—could propose new taxes (Article I, Section 7, Clause 1). There was significant resistance to this proposal. However, as noted in the previous installment in this series, Randolph and Dickinson accurately predicted that when the ratification debates began, opponents would try to tar the Constitution as too aristocratic. Ensuring that only the “people’s house” could propose taxes would blunt the attacks.
Another important moment for Randolph was when he moved for a day’s adjournment to allow heated tempers to cool. His motion passed and the commissioners came back later in a more tractable mood.
On July 26, they directed a new “committee of detail” to prepare an initial draft of a constitution. The delegates elected to the committee were Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts, a former president of Congress who had served the convention as chairman of the committee of the whole; Oliver Ellsworth, Connecticut’s foremost lawyer; James Wilson, Pennsylvania’s foremost lawyer; John Rutledge, South Carolina’s foremost lawyer; and Edmund Randolph.
The convention went into recess, and the committee of detail went to work. Randolph’s colleagues entrusted him with preparing the initial outline. In other words, Randolph prepared the first draft of the first draft of the Constitution.
On Aug. 6, the convention re-assembled, and the committee presented its new draft. Its most striking feature was that, instead of federal powers being stated in general terms (as in the Virginia Plan), they were specifically itemized. Earlier in the summer, Randolph had thought it was premature to list specific federal powers, but the passage of time had clarified his thinking.
The committee’s “enumeration” scheme became a central feature of the finished Constitution.
Despite his success at the convention, Randolph balked at signing the finished document. He suggested changes that would enable him to sign, but his proposals were rejected.
Randolph concluded that the only way to obtain the alterations he wanted was to permit state conventions to propose amendments, to be reviewed by a second federal convention held before final ratification.
On Oct. 10, he wrote a lengthy letter explaining why the Articles of Confederation should be cashiered in favor of a new federal system. But the letter also insisted that state conventions be permitted to suggest pre-ratification amendments. He observed that the procedure he favored was similar to the procedure by which the Articles of Confederation were adopted. He expressed confidence that conventions in a majority of states would agree to such amendments.
‘I Am a Child of the Revolution’
His prediction about what other states would do proved wrong. When the Virginia ratifying convention met in Richmond on June 2, 1788, eight states had already approved the Constitution, and they had done so without insisting on any prior amendments. Massachusetts and South Carolina had proposed amendments, but to be adopted only after ratification.
Randolph realized that Virginia’s choices were reduced to this: Virginia could vote to ratify, resulting in union under the proposed Constitution, or Virginia could vote against ratification, likely resulting in no union at all.
Randolph passionately chose union.
However, the elections to the Virginia convention had not gone well for advocates of the Constitution. Not only were most of those elected skeptical about ratification, but the opponents included highly talented leaders: Mason, James Monroe (the future president), and Patrick Henry, truly one of history’s greatest orators.
Henry could send his listeners into a trance and hold them there for five hours. If a thunderstorm arose while he was speaking, his oratory danced with the thunder and lightning, bending the elements to his cause.
On the side of the Constitution were Madison (who, alas, was no orator); Wythe; Edmund Pendleton, then the Commonwealth’s top lawyer; and John Marshall, later Chief Justice of the United States.
Randolph was charged with the daunting responsibility of taking the lead in responding to Henry.
Henry specialized in attributing dark motives to his opponents. So Randolph needed to establish his patriotism at the very outset. “Mr. Chairman,” he said, “I am a child of the revolution. My country, very early indeed, took me under its protection, at a time when I most wanted it, and, by a succession of favors and honors, gratified even my most ardent wishes.”
With such a recital, no listener could believe that the young governor would betray America.
Throughout Richmond’s muggy June days, Randolph rose to his feet again and again. He delivered speeches of shimmering eloquence. He made his case, while still conceding his desire for amendments. Ultimately, he helped negotiate a bargain between supporters of the Constitution and moderate opponents: The convention proposed a long list of amendments, but to be adopted only after ratification.
Even so, the vote was close: 89 in favor and 79 against.
Subsequent Career
In 1789, President Washington chose Randolph to be the first U.S. attorney general and, in 1794, the second Secretary of State. Randolph did a competent job in both positions. However, a cabal within the cabinet eventually forced him to resign. The alleged reason was that Randolph had solicited bribes from the French ambassador.
Randolph furiously protested his innocence, writing two pamphlets defending himself against the charges. The verdict of history has been, “Not guilty.”
He re-entered law practice, where his success at the bar vied with his failure as a financial manager. He also composed a history of Virginia.
Randolph died on Sept. 12, 1813, in Millwood, Virginia.
Final Remarks
Like Dickinson, Randolph is persistently underestimated and under-appreciated. Some writers characterize him as a temporizing mediocrity. But if you re-read what you have just read, you can see that this judgment is perverse. And if any doubt remains, read his speeches to the Virginia ratifying convention, notes from which are available here.
If Randolph failed on any level, it was that he was too honorable for the jungle that federal politics had become. As E. Lee Shepard wrote in the “American Dictionary of National Biography”:
“[H]e struggled throughout his political life to rise above faction and to support positions and policies that he deemed worthy of his advocacy. Unfortunately, with the establishment of the federal government and the broadening of the new national political arena, his high-minded approach to public service became increasingly untenable.”
If not for Edmund Randolph, America’s most populous and most influential state would have rejected the Constitution. George Washington would have been ineligible for the presidency. The Union would have been smothered in its cradle.
Rob Natelson | The Tenth Amendment Center
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