The drafter's of the Constitution made one very flawed assumption about those who would

[Atticus]

govern our nation. They assumed that those elected by the people to positions of almost unimaginable power and responsibility would have a conscience and possess a sense of shame. Like nearly all people, they possessed these common human traits and, as most of us would have, pre-Trump, they assumed everyone did.

There is nothing in the Constitution that says a president should not lie, should not intentionally insult anyone who disagrees with him or that he should not praise murdering thug dictators of traditional American adversaries. The framers didn't think such obvious directives were necessary. They could not have anticipated Trump. They could not have imagined such a spineless Congress.

[Sherman A1]

1. I disagree

I believe the framers did a very good job at setting up a system of checks and balances. That we have today the monied interests controlling our government is in part due to a long well run campaign by them and a lack of engagement by the citizenry.

[Atticus]

3. When the "system of checks and balances" is so obviously not working, it is difficult

for me to say "the framers did a very good job at setting up a system of checks and balances".

[Sherman A1]

4. Then we must agree to disagree

You believe it is correct to blame the folks from 200+ years ago for not anticipating every possible bad situation that might come along in the future, knock yourself out.

Things have been bad before and we have made it through, this too shall pass.

[Atticus]

5. If you truly believe that's what I said, I understand your disagreement. nt

[Hortensis]

9. Let's remember there was a huge battle in those days

over what went into our constitution. Conservatives of those days fought tooth and nail, word by word, over many issues. How about the apportionment that to this day puts conservatives in power despite losing the popular vote? An enormous victory, just for instance.

Our liberal democracy was the big winner, but we had to compromise on many, many other points before we got the flawed but still magnificent thing passed. It's rankest speculation, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some ambiguity wasn't left deliberately by those who didn't (and still don't) believe in this liberal "government of, by and for the people" and "all men are equal under the law" nonsense.

[Blue_true]

7. Was there a "common man" among the Framers?

Benjamin Franklin was a legendary Grifter (hogged government print contracts). The closest to being common was George Washington and even he was considerably well off in comparison to the common man (women were treated as property during that era).

Correct me, I am not a Founding era literate person.

[Sherman A1]

8. I do not believe that I referenced a "common man"

and the Founders were certainly among the elite of the day. Yet I believe that they did a good job of creating a system with checks and balances along with the opportunity for adjusting the document through the amendment process as things changed. Did they anticipate the era of rapid fire automatic weapons, Facebook, Twitter, computers, the internet and our other technologies, likely not, but can you anticipate what life will be like in 200 some odd years?

Again I do not fault the Founders for our current dilemmas, as mentioned I fault the lack of engagement on the part of the citizenry and the well orchestrated work of the monied interests and corporations of which we have been warned about through the years by both some of the founders and other Presidents and notables.

The Founders certainly were human and had their share of human failings and we can find significant evidence of that and many anecdotal bits to support any argument that we choose, but I do not believe that the Constitution is one of their failings.

[Blue_true]

10. I largely agree with your points. Our problem today is lack of voting and uninformed voting.

The Founders made the Constitution adjustable for the age that it was to be used in, that is what strict constructionists like Gorsuch and the late Scalia can't seem to wrap their heads around.

[Hoyt]

2. The framers were mostly slave owners or enablers, not a lot different from trump.

[pbmus]

6. The truth shall set you free...