Open Primaries

I'd go with "not"...

However, if you're not a democratic party committee member or something there is nothing stopping you from changing parties to vote for whomever you think is the worst GOP candidate so... I don't think there is any way to stop somebody from registering and voting wherever they want and voting for whatever reason.

:dunno:
 
cawacko said:
Just curious if folks on the board are fans of them or not?
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I am and I think were headed more and more that way. Open primaries I think would help a lot in reducing the polarization in our political process. Closed primaries tend to bring out the motivated extremes of both parties with the end result that more extreme candidates win nominations and any more with how things are gerrymandered it's winning the primary's that counts for winning office. Open primaries would reduce the number of extreme candidate that run for and win primary elections and then win public office.
 
Damocles said:
I'd go with "not"...

However, if you're not a democratic party committee member or something there is nothing stopping you from changing parties to vote for whomever you think is the worst GOP candidate so... I don't think there is any way to stop somebody from registering and voting wherever they want and voting for whatever reason.

:dunno:
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I was listening to a debate on it yesterday and the argument was as long as primaries are closed to party members only we are going to get candidates that are more to the right and left than the general electorate and that is not a good thing. They did mention the point you did which is party members from one side can vote in the primary for the other side and vote for the worst candidate which is not a good thing for the country as a whole.

If forced to choice I might go with the open primaries though at least for a period of time and see if it produces better candidates.
 
Derp Derp said:
I am and I think were headed more and more that way. Open primaries I think would help a lot in reducing the polarization in our political process. Closed primaries tend to bring out the motivated extremes of both parties with the end result that more extreme candidates win nominations and any more with how things are gerrymandered it's winning the primary's that counts for winning office. Open primaries would reduce the number of extreme candidate that run for and win primary elections and then win public office.
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I think that depends much on how much people identify with a party. I know people who would go and vote for the most nutjobby just to make the "other party" worse.

Personally, IMO it is a shame that George Washington failed in killing the idea of political parties.
 
Damocles said:
I'd go with "not"...

However, if you're not a democratic party committee member or something there is nothing stopping you from changing parties to vote for whomever you think is the worst GOP candidate so... I don't think there is any way to stop somebody from registering and voting wherever they want and voting for whatever reason.

:dunno:
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But that's a sword that cuts both ways. I know Republicans up here in Ohio who in 1999 who registered Democrat and voted for Ralph Nader. I like open primaries. I should be able to vote in whatever primary I choose.

I personally don't believe in registering in the opposite party that your affiliated with so you can vote for a candidate on the fringes in a closed primary but if we had an open primary system in Ohio I would have voted in the Republican primary as the Democrat Presidential primary is pretty much unopposed and I could then vote for more moderate Republican candidate, in this case Romney. My rational being this. I'll probably vote for Obama but if Obama were to lose I'd far rather see Romney in the White House than Santorum or Gingrish or Paul.
 
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Damocles said:
I think that depends much on how much people identify with a party. I know people who would go and vote for the most nutjobby just to make the "other party" worse.

Personally, IMO it is a shame that George Washington failed in killing the idea of political parties.
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Actually Damo I think that happens far more in the closed primary system. I think in open primaries you see people, particularly independents and moderates, voting for the best candidates and away from the political extremes. Open primarys, I believe, also tend to have higher turn out.
 
cawacko said:
I was listening to a debate on it yesterday and the argument was as long as primaries are closed to party members only we are going to get candidates that are more to the right and left than the general electorate and that is not a good thing. They did mention the point you did which is party members from one side can vote in the primary for the other side and vote for the worst candidate which is not a good thing for the country as a whole.

If forced to choice I might go with the open primaries though at least for a period of time and see if it produces better candidates.
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I disagree with their conclusion. When close primary voters cross lines and vote for the extreme candidates it's almost always the more moderate candidates who benefit. That happened here in Ohio and though it was razor close, Romney, the more moderate candidate, still won.
 
Derp Derp said:
But that's a sword that cuts both ways. I know Republicans up here in Ohio who in 1999 who registered Democrat and voted for Ralph Nader. I like open primaries. I should be able to vote in whatever primary I choose.

I personally don't believe in registering in the opposite party that your affiliated with so you can vote for a candidate on the fringes but if we had an open primary system in Ohio I would have voted in the Republican primary as the Democrat Presidential primary is pretty much unopposed and I could then vote for more moderate Republican candidates.
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Yeah, that's my point.

In this year nobody is running against Obama so what's to stop a "D" from changing registration to vote as an R in the Primary? Nothing. Just like there really was nothing to stop the Rs from doing it in some elections in the past.

I don't think there is a perfect solution, but if a party wants to shut out people who aren't "members" they have a right to do it.
 
Derp Derp said:
Actually Damo I think that happens far more in the closed primary system. I think in open primaries you see people, particularly independents and moderates, voting for the best candidates and away from the political extremes. Open primarys, I believe, also tend to have higher turn out.
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It's possible. I'm still hacked at the party taking away our Presidential Primary and installing the "no dedicated delegates" caucus system that allows the delegate selection to be all wishy-washy towards whomever "won" over all rather than who the state party members voted for...
 
Damocles said:
Yeah, that's my point.

In this year nobody is running against Obama so what's to stop a "D" from changing registration to vote as an R in the Primary? Nothing. Just like there really was nothing to stop the Rs from doing it in some elections in the past.

I don't think there is a perfect solution, but if a party wants to shut out people who aren't "members" they have a right to do it.
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I don't think open primaries are a perfect solution either but I think that it would go a hell of a long ways towards reducing the polarization we see in our political process and I feel that's a pro that outweighs its cons. I think it would be far more difficult for extreme candidates to suceed in an open primary. That sounds good to me!
 
Damocles said:
It's possible. I'm still hacked at the party taking away our Presidential Primary and installing the "no dedicated delegates" caucus system that allows the delegate selection to be all wishy-washy towards whomever "won" over all rather than who the state party members voted for...
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Oh I wouldn't like that either. That gives far to much power to the party bosses.
 
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