Billmon: Contra Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

Billmon has a Twitter essay.

    Billmon ‏@billmon1 29m29 minutes ago

    1) Leaving aside political stupidity of excluding indies from major party primaries, the practice relies on a myth — one of many in system.
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 27m27 minutes ago

2) The myth (legal fiction might be better term) is duopoly parties are purely private organizations, & thus should be able to set own rules
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 24m24 minutes ago

3) But this is pettifoggery. Reality is 2 parties enjoy a privileged position within our “2 party system” — one reinforced by state power.
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 21m21 minutes ago

4) Most states have legal barriers – usually onerous – to keep smaller parties off ballots & protect duopoly. Some still use “party lever”..
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 20m20 minutes ago

5) …to encourage straight Dem/GOP party line voting.
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 20m20 minutes ago

6) Party primaries are treated as official elections, costs subsidized by the taxpayers.
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 18m18 minutes ago

7) And on & on. Duopoly parties hard wired into legal framework of political process in ways that make a mockery of claims to private status
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 17m17 minutes ago

8) So any further attempt to limit access of indies to primary ballots would be a systemic closure — tightening cartel’s grip even more.
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 13m13 minutes ago

9) And systemic closure – like more closed primaries – to block future Sanders or Trumps would only make sclerotic, dysfunctional system…
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 12m12 minutes ago

10) …even MORE sclerotic & dysfunctional: reinforcing everything people hate about American politics & politicians.
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 11m11 minutes ago

11) Ultimately, it’s a death spiral — an oligarchical system seeking escape from consequences of oligarchy by becoming MORE oligarchical.
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Billmon ‏@billmon1 9m9 minutes ago

12) And, ultimately, it ends in systemic collapse, when a shock (a lost war, a depression, an exceptionally skilled demagogue) comes along..
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Billmon
‏@billmon1

13) …that the system no longer has the political legitimacy to survive.

Nuff said.  The establishment is sealing its fate.