Posted on 06/09/2010 11:50:57 AM PDT by La Enchiladita
In case anyone missed the tea leaves scattered around the country, California’s primary results offer more evidence of voters’ dislike for political parties.
The Golden State on Tuesday passed Proposition 14, creating a so-called open primary in which any voter is allowed to cast their vote for any candidate in the primary, regardless of party affiliation. The top two vote-getters would face each other in the general election, even if they were from the same party. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a big backer of the change, arguing that it would push politics away from the polarized extremes and toward a centrist middle.
Skeptics say all it will really do is push party leaders into backrooms to cut secret deals selecting a single candidate, and make campaigning even more expensive. Louisiana used to have such an open primary system, and is considering returning to it.
The measure has already ended partisanship in one sense: Many Democratic and Republican leaders in the state vigorously opposed it. Proposition 14 is expected to be challenged in court.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
SC is pretty much a red state. SC Dems did NOT and do not care who their nominee was/is, but they did care who got it for our side. I worked next door to former Grenville County Republican Chair Sam Harms during that time, all he ever did was rail on our open prmaries and that McCain got the nod. I still do not believe, as do many here in the Republican party that McCain would have won that nomination without Dems crossing over. It probably would have gone to Huckabee, I believe McCain won it by 3 pts.
A better example, yesterday when I voted in the primary. I voted at about 5pm, I was the 238th person to vote declaring for the republicans on the sign in sheet for my precinct. I looked at the Dem sign up sheet, there was only 3 names. I'm just saying, in this state the dems vote on our primaries a helluva lot more than in their own. I've seen it with my own eyes.
As I recall, lone star annie, from what I read of posts on FR.... during the 2008 primary, “conservatives” were voting on obama in order to defeat hillary. At least, that’s what they said they did. Some pranks backfire bigtime.
If the republicans don’t go to a caucus system in California they can permanently kiss that state goodbye.
They are going to caucus.
California. Born 1850. Died 2010. RIP.
Actually, it was the other way around. People voted for Hillary to keep Obama out.
Yes, the CA GOP will go to a caucus and will select a parade of Scozzafavas. No longer will a conservative be possible. The idiotic CA GOP leadership will insure RINO after RINO. “A conservative is unelectable. Let’s pick Meg Whitman’s left-leaning little sister”.
CA GOP caucus means every nominee from now on will be a CA Scozzafava.
We are so screwed.
With open primaries, California has been Scozzafava’ed.
This is a problem in SC we are trying to remedy. We get crossover Dems that vote in Republican primaries. That’s how McCain won the primary last election.
As I understand the proposal there won’t be a specific party primary but rather one in which all candidates are listed on the same ballot. A jungle primary system like LA used to have a few years back. Then the two top vote getters face each other in the general if no one gets a majority in the jungle primary.
Californians already can.
Ditch the GOP, re-register as "Non-partisan," and you can choose to vote any ticket in a Primary Election. The only seats you can't vote on are for Party committee holders.
So, for instance, the Non-partisan Republican ballot showed all the ballot measures, local races, and all the Republican Primary and non-partisan races for the State offices.
What Prop 14 did is, essentially, make ever voter in CA into a Non-partisan voter EXCEPT that, every candidate from every party for every office will now all appear on ONE really big ballot.
Holy hanging chads, Batman!!
Worst part about it is, it moves a dangerous step toward total democracy. Instead of each party getting to choose it's strongest contender for each office, "The Mob" will pick the top two out of EVERYONE running. Well, here in nutty CA, how is that NOT going to result in all future General Election races being a duel between Raging Libtard #1 and Raging Libtard #2??
The Law of Unintended Consequences will apply in this case.
There is a way to make this into an opportunity for conservatism. We’re working on it.
I’m dumbfounded at the sheer stupidity of CA voters for passing this harmful measure - If the result is that there will be fewer and fewer choices for the general election, and those choices primarily being between two dimocRATS, I will be leaving CA - that will be the final blow to an extremely damaged ship. Let’s hope there is a court challenge that overturns the measure.
What I greatly feared came to pass.
I just knew it would. It’s the worst result in our primary, really.
What I see for CA’s future is the state being turned back over to Mexico as more and more working American citizens leave this ash can and more and more illegals come into the state. Pity. The geography here use to be so beautiful too.
Yes, if we had any hope left this took it away.
Unless it is challenged and tossed out by the CA Supreme Court.
No party affiliation needs to be noted on the ballot, whatsoever.
A candidate doesn’t have to say if he is Dem or Rep or Communist.
Voters get one ballot and choose from all the names for each race
Say goodbye to conservatism, California. Say hello to mob rule.
The sheer stupidity of CA voters always exceeds my expectations.
Only two counties voted against it -- the most lib (SF) and the largely conservative (OC)
I voted for Hillary in the primary. Thought I would rather her be Prez then Obama. Knew the Den would win but didn’t say anything since it is all so depressing. Voted for McCain in the General though.
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