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A Tale of Two Primaries
Are primary battles good for the party, good for the voters, good for democracy? Or do they just waste money, burn out candidates and spark internal wars? In my new column today at Pajamas Media I look at two primary battles: McCain vs. Hayworth in Arizona and Crist vs. Rubio in Florida. Some party leaders seem to feel these types of brawls weaken the party and make the Republicans look like they are falling apart from the inside. But in reality, they are the firewall that keeps the power in the hands of the voters, not the pseudo-corporate interests of an entrenched party structure.
7 Responses to “A Tale of Two Primaries”
I am not sure that primaries keep corporate interests out of the party structure, but I do agree that they are good for the voters. Once an individual wins a primary, they will need to reload on campaign funding for the election….and in comes Mr. Moneybags with a case full of cash and a couple of favors to ask.
“But in reality, they are the firewall that keeps the power in the hands of the voters, not the pseudo-corporate interests of an entrenched party structure.”
I'd be the last to argue against any election decided by voters. The last thing we need are a return of the party machines of the late 19th century. Nevertheless, I cannot help be criticize the modi operandorum of the primary systems as they stand today. Popular referendum on candidates is great if they reflect a broad enough component of the electorate. I don't think they do. The primary victory of Gov. Perry is a great example. If the choice was between Perry and Sen. Hutchinson statewide, Hutchinson would probably win by double digits. The primary system effectively denied this choice to the broader electorate. So, while I agree that a return of party machines would be a step backwards for accountability, the current primary system isn't all that much better, IMHO.
I understand your point, but couldn't Hutchinson run as an independent?
Funny, Perry is now making international news for wanting to succeed from the union. The Tea Party is being branded as the party of No.
“But the revival does not come by people who stand for something. They are mainly against it. “
That is just the view from the outside looking in.
Edit: moved and deleted comment.
She could, but the partisan primary system strongly discourages it. She'd be at an undue disadvantage from the onset. Personally, I'd like to see partisan primary abolished altogether and see us move toward a blanket primary or runoff style election. Of course, there is no perfect system—Kenneth Arrow proved that. But given the trajectory of partisan elections, I'm willing to give a few alternatives a go.
“Personally, I'd like to see partisan primary abolished altogether and see us move toward a blanket primary or runoff style election. Of course, there is no perfect system—Kenneth Arrow proved that.”
It's my cue to post the best stuff related to this. Gary, if you haven't seen it before, here it is. I post this from time to time when it is relevent; a number of people on here are interested in good reforms.
multi-party systems, proportional representation for multiple-seat legislative and other bodies
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/polit/damy/prlib.htm
approval voting, the best way to select officials in single-person offices
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/government/approvalvot…
interesting additional idea
http://condorcet.org/rp/index.shtml