Twelve percent of the seats in the House of Representatives are from California. About 50 of those 53 seats are uncompetitive. The system is broken. But the solution is probably a bit worse. California drew safe districts after the 2000 census. The correct solution is to draw competitive districts after this year’s census. Instead, they’re going to change how 12% of the seats in the House are selected. No longer will there be party primaries. Instead, all candidates regardless of party will be on the same ballot. Only the top two vote-getters will appear on the general election ballot. So, in many districts, you won’t even have the option to vote for a candidate from your party in the general election. If you belong to a third party, you might go your entire life without having the chance to vote for your candidate in a general election.
The upside is that we’ll see fewer crazy California Republicans. But we’ll also see fewer liberal Democrats. That’s because in races where there are only two Republicans or two Democrats to choose from, the more moderate cahdidate will win almost every time.
And all this annoying change from a stupid Proposition. I hate the Proposition law. It’s ruined California. Now it’s threatening to ruin American politics.
The Chamber of Commerce and Big Business is ruining politics .. who do you think were behind those Propositions? .. despite both parties being against them
It’s quintessentially American – the beauty (and horror) of democracy is that if you can get a majority of your neighbors to support your stupid idea then that stupid idea becomes law (subject to Constitutional restrictions, of course). Was it Winston Churchill who said that the best argument against democracy was a 5-minute discussion with the average voter?
Democracy – the worst form of government, except for all the rest…
I suppose you’ve been too busy to update your website?
I can understand why, looking at the photo of two great people — and my best to you both, Oscar in Louisville.
Thanks! I actually have been insanely busy – since the weeding day I’ve had roughly 3 days in frnt of my own PC, I’m in Phoenix right now and I fly to Tampa tommorrow. We’ll load up her stuff this weekend and drive up to Louisville early next week. Then I’ll be able to update the photos and the site.
Washington state has had a top two primary for a couple of years. It’s been devastating to independent candidates and parties, but the bigger impact has been that Republicans have learned to identify themselves on the ballot (since it’s the campaigns that register candidates for an election, not the parties) as “GOP” rather than “Republican.” Polling has shown that about 25% of the electorate doesn’t even realize GOP is Republican, so they use this bit of subterfuge to pick up votes from, let’s put this gently, “low information voters.” People who knows R’s and D’s are bad, so they go for the other guy, who they may even have heard of.
Incidentally, Washington’s top two system is roundly despised by almost everyone, but the state legislature’s hand was forced in creating it — voters aren’t registered by party here, and the US Supreme Court ruled a few years back that the open primary systems used by WA and a few other states were unconstitutional, because the parties couldn’t control their own nomination process. So now the parties still back candidates, but that information doesn’t necessarily appear on the ballot. It’s ideal for any party that’s widely despised by the electorate. These days, that’s both of the big ones.
…where the populace can vote itself bread and circuses…
CA Democrats are stupid as hell.
This is right on the money.
As a resident of California, I can tell you this is exactly what will happen. Every year we pass some dumb ass proposition that people lie about and end up voting for when it is exactly the same thing they’re against.
Sigh.
Ah, “Gullyvornyah” and its propositions.
I think it was Bill Maher who said that if you gave the average citizen a chance, he’d vote for “no taxes, free beer and vagina trees.”
“Could you sign this petition to make earthquakes illegal? They’re really starting to bother me.”
As a Californian, I agree that this proposition (14) will change things for the worse.
The proposition law worked OK until corporations and other vested interests learned they could game it with money.
Recall elections and propositions were part of the original Progressive movement’s platform. So were closed party primaries, intended to take politics out of the smoke-filled room.
Congratulations California. You’ve decided to emulate Louisiana when it comes to elections. Didn’t know that freezer cash and oil kickbacks were something to emulate, but now you’ve done it.