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"All politics is local."
As I understand it from my Poli Sci class some years ago.... nominations were once "back room deals" worked out by the Central Committees, Party leaders and current office holders. Usually this was just back room stuff, but for the top offices (Governor and President), often at party conventions (although the REAL action still happened back stage, out of the spying eye of the press and public).
Many objected. Nothing this tended to create "machines" and "pay backs" and often candidates that not only did not reflect the views of the electorate but were commited to NOT reforming things.
One of the REFORMS against this was primaries. The PEOPLE in the party would be able to choose their nominees. My state (California) was a leader in this (along with Referendum and Recall). Registered Republicans choose the Republican nominee. At least my prof believed this was a vast improvement, placing noninees more in line with the views and desires of the electorate, more responsive to them and more representative of them. It helped all political parties and the process. But..... as happens in elections.... had a negative side: Infighting in the Party became very public, candidates sometimes crewed up one another in the primaries doing great harm in the general election, and yup - MONEY became a much bigger issue (replacing the earlier issue of pay backs, friendships, connections). All-in-all, a good move, however.
As more and more became "independent" ... and as some concluded this new process tended to make for more "extreme" nominees, the cry came for "open primaries" where any could vote for all: either to choose the nominees of each party OR simply to choose the top two candidates. Once again, California was a leader in this new "Reform." What it has done is create a one-party system. In California, the Democrats dominate virtually everywhere (there are a FEW, a very few, areas where the Republican Party still exists). I'm a registered Republican, but the ONLY time that matters is in the election of members of our county Republican Party Central Committee.... otherwise, it's an "open ballot" - I can vote for ANY in the primary. So..... I do what everyone does...... when it doesn't matter who I vote for on the Republican side (it's already decided - as tends to be the case for President - or there's an incombant, etc) then I vote on the Democrat side, either for the one I think is the least liberal OR the one I think is such a joke that even the Democrats would vote against him, thus improving the odds of the Republicans serviving). And of course, sometimes we just end up with two liberal democrats on the ballot because the top Republican came in third - almost guarenteed if there are two or more Republicans running splitting the smaller Republican vote). The Republican Party is California is thus pretty much dead.... focusing on those areas where we can get a Republican congressman, but statewide - dead. It was suppose to be a reform...... but it has proven to be a way for the majority party to take control and eliminate opposition. My poli sci prof admitted it's a reform that backfired.
Ironic that it's the creation of what was presented as "reforms" we accepted and chose, but it's created the People's Republic of California with one-party rule and control.... and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Frustrating to me. But important for all to know (and I'm SURE it's not an exclusive California thing), because this is by far the largest state with the most electorial votes and the most delegates to party conventions: but elections here are irrelevant. Romney and McCain had good reasons to not waste time or money here. In the primary to come, Democrats and Independents will determine the delegates to the Republican Convention (at least if Hilary is a given by then), not Republicans. Some of them will vote for the Republican they think can be defeated the most easily, others the Republican they think is most like a Democrat. The process here is broken.
Perhaps it is in other states, too.
FYI
- Josiah
As I understand it from my Poli Sci class some years ago.... nominations were once "back room deals" worked out by the Central Committees, Party leaders and current office holders. Usually this was just back room stuff, but for the top offices (Governor and President), often at party conventions (although the REAL action still happened back stage, out of the spying eye of the press and public).
Many objected. Nothing this tended to create "machines" and "pay backs" and often candidates that not only did not reflect the views of the electorate but were commited to NOT reforming things.
One of the REFORMS against this was primaries. The PEOPLE in the party would be able to choose their nominees. My state (California) was a leader in this (along with Referendum and Recall). Registered Republicans choose the Republican nominee. At least my prof believed this was a vast improvement, placing noninees more in line with the views and desires of the electorate, more responsive to them and more representative of them. It helped all political parties and the process. But..... as happens in elections.... had a negative side: Infighting in the Party became very public, candidates sometimes crewed up one another in the primaries doing great harm in the general election, and yup - MONEY became a much bigger issue (replacing the earlier issue of pay backs, friendships, connections). All-in-all, a good move, however.
As more and more became "independent" ... and as some concluded this new process tended to make for more "extreme" nominees, the cry came for "open primaries" where any could vote for all: either to choose the nominees of each party OR simply to choose the top two candidates. Once again, California was a leader in this new "Reform." What it has done is create a one-party system. In California, the Democrats dominate virtually everywhere (there are a FEW, a very few, areas where the Republican Party still exists). I'm a registered Republican, but the ONLY time that matters is in the election of members of our county Republican Party Central Committee.... otherwise, it's an "open ballot" - I can vote for ANY in the primary. So..... I do what everyone does...... when it doesn't matter who I vote for on the Republican side (it's already decided - as tends to be the case for President - or there's an incombant, etc) then I vote on the Democrat side, either for the one I think is the least liberal OR the one I think is such a joke that even the Democrats would vote against him, thus improving the odds of the Republicans serviving). And of course, sometimes we just end up with two liberal democrats on the ballot because the top Republican came in third - almost guarenteed if there are two or more Republicans running splitting the smaller Republican vote). The Republican Party is California is thus pretty much dead.... focusing on those areas where we can get a Republican congressman, but statewide - dead. It was suppose to be a reform...... but it has proven to be a way for the majority party to take control and eliminate opposition. My poli sci prof admitted it's a reform that backfired.
Ironic that it's the creation of what was presented as "reforms" we accepted and chose, but it's created the People's Republic of California with one-party rule and control.... and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Frustrating to me. But important for all to know (and I'm SURE it's not an exclusive California thing), because this is by far the largest state with the most electorial votes and the most delegates to party conventions: but elections here are irrelevant. Romney and McCain had good reasons to not waste time or money here. In the primary to come, Democrats and Independents will determine the delegates to the Republican Convention (at least if Hilary is a given by then), not Republicans. Some of them will vote for the Republican they think can be defeated the most easily, others the Republican they think is most like a Democrat. The process here is broken.
Perhaps it is in other states, too.
FYI
- Josiah
