All Posts Tagged With: "primary"

Continued

Yesterday was a really big day, as you probably already know. Super Tuesday, the most significant primary election date so far this presidential campaign, with almost half of the states voting. In Oklahoma, there was a big turnout, with Oklahomans finally having a say in this race — well, except for those who are shut out of the primary process… like myself.

You see, like many other states, Oklahoma has a closed primary system, which simply means that you have to belong to one of the political parties to have a voice in the primaries, and even then you can only vote for a candidate within your own party. If you are a Democrat, but you happen like John McCain and want to cast your vote for him, the only way to do it is to switch parties. If you are a Republican, but you wanted to vote for Barack Obama as your guy, you couldn’t — unless you switched parties. If you are an independent, like myself, you’re out of luck, persona non grata, your voice has no place in Oklahoma politics — unless you joined the party, whichever has the candidate of your choice.

When I brought this point up in the comment section for one of Okiedoke’s blog posts, I was asked a very common question, “If an independent chooses not to support a particular party, why should that independent be allowed to help choose the candidate who will represent that party in the general election?” As I said there, that’s a fair point. But that’s what I don’t like about our system as it’s set up now. The two-party system is more about self-preservation of power than about who will best run this country. It’s resulted in some of the most bitter partisanship in recent memory.

I would simply like the opportunity to vote for the candidate whom I believe would best lead this country, be it a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent or some other party’s candidate. I like how the local races for mayor and city council are handled, where it’s not party driven, but idea driven. You can vote for any ONE of the candidates in the field. The top two vote-getters face off in a runoff election.

Imagine how much different Washington might look if we applied the same principle to the presidential election. Allow everyone in the country to vote on the same primary election day to choose the candidate they most want to lead this nation. If no one candidate wins a majority (at least 50% plus one vote), then the top two vote-getters run off in the general election.

Take the political party apparatus out of the equation. Let the candidates run on their own ideas, records and organization. Let voters have the opportunity to vote for the best person, regardless of their party identity.

I presently cannot do that without aligning myself with a political party I don’t otherwise support (which includes both parties). It’s a matter of principle… and standing on that principle disenfranchises me from the primary process.

It’s a simple idea. Let the people vote for whom they believe is best, without arbitrary and unnecessary impediments. But that might be too democratic for The Powers That Be of this nation — the purported grand exporter of “democracy” around the world.

(I now step down from my political soap box.)