Open Primaries

Posted at 1:50 am on Saturday, January 19, 2008, in Uncategorized, and tagged 2008.

I’m not really sure what my “official” opinion is on open primaries, but I am certainly — and openly — leaning against them. And this is why.

I’ve put my time in as a democrat — through thick and thin, including the recent history as being labeled a “traitor” for simply being a liberal American — and I do feel that it is those registered democrats, people like me, that should choose the nominee.

If someone wants to switch parties, or if someone wants to finally join a party, or new voters, I am fine with them participating in the primary. But for these fair-weather democrats (registered independents who vote for whichever side is more popular) to jump on a bandwagon — without buying the wheel axles — it is a bit disheartening, from the perspective of a life-long democrat.

The political pendulum swings consistently. At times it feels it is weighted in one direction, and from 2001 through 2005, it was very difficult to be a liberal, and to be a democrat. But hell, we stuck through it. And we’ve made it. We knew we would, it was only a manner of time. The pendulum will eventually — always — swing in the other direction, our direction. And now it is suddenly difficult to be a conservative.

But why do we (as a party) allow for these admittedly non-democrats to choose our nominee? I am not against democracy, but isn’t that what the general election is for — the undecideds, independents, soccer moms, NASCAR dads, inebriated librarians?

Primaries are for the party faithful. Let us choose our nominee. We’ve earned it. I’ve earned it.

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