I don't think non party members should be given a choice in the nomination process. The primaries are for the parties to decide their choice. Public offices shouldn't be like a convoluted sports playoff system. If people want to vote in the primaries they should join a party thet supports their views. Otherwise they don't get a say until election day.
There are inherent disadvantages of the two party system and George Washington warned us about them. But we also don't want the travisty of European politics where the majority party has to make deals with the Green Party or the Socialist Party to make a working coalition to govern. The minority parties are one of the primary reasons that Eorupe has been driven so far to the left.
I was meaning that we should get a chance to vote for who we would most like to see win in the general election and then also for the republican or democrat they would like.
We are moving left with two parties. With more parties they will have to make deals with parties actually on the left as opposed to the Republicans continually sliding left.