Posted on 07/22/2014 5:11:38 AM PDT by cotton1706
Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling for abolishing partisan primaries, saying the current system engenders unhealthy political polarization.
“The partisan primary system, which favors more ideologically pure candidates, has contributed to the election of more extreme officeholders and increased political polarization,” the New York Democrat wrote in a New York Times op-ed published Monday evening. “It has become a menace to governing.”
Schumer said that partisan primaries embolden “the 10 percent at each of the two extremes of the political spectrum” and pointed to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s surprise loss to Dave Brat, a political novice who ran to the right of Cantor and had the support of the tea party.
In his op-ed piece, Schumer said that partisan primaries have had a particularly pernicious impact on the Republican Party, “where centrists and moderates are increasingly rare.“
Schumer instead called for the country to adopt a “top two” primary system like that in California, where all voters regardless of party cast ballots in a primary election and the top two vote-getters proceed to a general election runoff. Such a system, the senator writes, would force candidates to appeal to the broader electorate as opposed to a small segment on the ideological fringe.
The system in California, he said, has been “a moderating influence on both parties and a salutary effect on the political system and its ability to govern.”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
>>single party states are SO much more efficient at carrying out “the will of the people” (aka mob rule)
Massachusetts (where I live). I am unenrolled in either party so I admittedly can help choose a candidate in either party by requesting a Rep. or Dem. ballot—that seems to pose problems, though.. people who might really be on “one side” can help to choose the candidates on the other, as long as they’re unenrolled and can pick one ballot or the other in primaries.
In 2004 I got to vote against Kerry twice (in the primary I picked, ugh, John Edwards...) In the 6th Cong District I can vote against Dem. John Tierney twice—assuming he wins the primary which he prob will
For some reason libs - or marxists in this case - are great at taking tests.
Were their primaries when the Senate was elected by the States? Maybe we should go back to that system if Chuckie is so worried about primaries.
“Why the government would be in any way involved in choosing a political party’s candidate is way beyond me.”
The House of Lords wants to choose its own members. They don’t want the people involved.
Chuck prefers that the candidates be selected from a “qualified” list by the Leftist media-party, before the masses are allowed to pick between the red colored dog crap or the blue colored dog crap.
The Dems now have added this mantra about protecting the ability to govern into their lexicon. What it really means is that they resent the peoples’ ability to put checks on their actions.
Anything scumbag Schumer suggests is NOT for your benefit, it’s for his.
“Nonpartisan elections” gave us Mayor Anise Porker (Parker) in Houston who ramrodded through a sexual predator protection ordnance to allow trannies and predators to pick their bathrooms - and prey on your kids. Houstonians OVERWHELMINGLY oppose it. They give us communists self-described as moderates. They allow donors to hide behind their favored candidate’s “non partisan” status.
FOAD, Schumer.
They don’t want opponents. They want to be ordained and crowned like Obama. So it is said, so it shall be.
We already have a one party system. Whats his point?
We're pretty much there now.
No one except for Zero has advocated for more harm to the public than Schumer, and in a saner world he’d have to explain himself to the FBI.
Translation: Elections are a menace to the ruling class.
Or elections, or anything else you can cheat at.
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