Open primaries are a TERRBILE idea. Why would I want some liberal Bay Area geek voting for the Republican HE wants in, even though he is a registered Indie, or Decline to State?

It is the right of a Party membership to vote on the candidate THEY want to field, and no one else’s.

This country needs a revolution.

Joe Lieberman, on the other side of the aisle, has the support of a majority of the people of Connecticut but has the support of a minority of the people of his party.

Closed party primaries determining access to The People’s general election ballot is denying the people the choice of the candidates they like.

Herb Caen wrote wonderfully about San Francisco getting Dianne Fienstein as Mayor. He described SF as a political “doughnut” having all the extremes and no constituency for centrists, but a city best governed by a centrist. He said the right person, who could never have been directly elected a first time, inherited the office (sadly, due to an assassination). And the people were wise enough to reelect her.
I don’t like Dianne Feinstein or her politics, but I feel that way about the San Francisco populace too. She is well left of center, but she was dead center for SF’s politics. It’s good for us all if even communities of our political opponents are honestly, fairly, REPRESENTATIVELY governed. That’s Federalism.

Arnold Schwartzenegger is not the most conservative candidate, and would not have won a party primary BUT he serves this diverse state well. Richard Riordan also is called a RINO, fairly so, but might have been found appropriate for California (Remember, the biggest spender in the primary he lost to Bill Simon was Gray Davis)

The real solution is structural reform. Open primaries and instant run-off tabulating.

The current system of closed party primaries for access to the general election ballot is giving us legislatures populated by a representative balance of political extremists. Houses that spend large portions of their workdays on internal, combative politics. Not seeking common ground, not valuing it. feeling no obligation that being in office obliges you to represent all, including the citizens who supported your opponent.

Via Washington Times
Less than two months after voting overwhelmingly to build 370 miles of new fencing along the border with Mexico, the Senate yesterday voted against providing funds to build it.
“We do a lot of talking. We do a lot of …