http://www.thewritedeal.org/grandma_story.php?id=51
I cannot believe that anyone would believe that the Top-Two Open Primary system is worse for wear.
We have not seen the final effects on our state and national political dramas yet, and someone is already taking the election reforms to task.
To say the least, I do not agree with their opinion regarding the results of the Open Primary and the top-two finishers.
Henry Waxman has avoided a real challenge since he came into office in 1974. It's time that he was no longer permitted to choose his own district and his own voters.
Ditto for Howard Berman. The Berman-Waxman machine is going down!
Frankly, to see two incumbent Democrats tussle for the same seat in the Valley is a win for everyone. Now the Valley voters can absorb the full brunt of an election which manifestly exposes the Democratic Party's agendas on social and fiscal issues. The personal attacks waging back and forth between these two Congressmen may be enough to tempt more Valley voters to go independent. Imagine a more fiscally conservative Democrat or independent running against the winner in this year's race!
Thomas Elias of Santa Monica pointed out that minority parties now cannot tweak general election results, which often times forced districts with a conservative majority to settle for a liberal winner, and vice versa. Minor party candidates can still shape the discussion on key issues, as they always have, but now for the first time they will not shift elections against like-minded majority party candidates.
Still, everyone of us should reserve judgment on the long-term efficacies of the new reforms
You should think about your comments on the Berman/Sherman race. Berman is well known for being a policy nerd who spends incredible amounts of time on everything he votes on and he is endorsed by most members of both parties all of whom rave about his work ethic. I could see voting a different way if someone was closer to you ideologically, but if they are both far apart, how about showing some respect for the guy who traveled to Vladivostok in the Winter back in the year 2000 to help convince the Russians to do what needed to be done to get an effective arms control plan in place to stop terrorists from stealing weapons. That kind of effort deserves to be rewarded and if you had somewhere else to go it would make sense, but in this case, you should be telling the people you know who live in that district to reelect Howard Berman. JMO!
ReplyDeleteJMO!
ReplyDeleteThis is all I have to say, as I am sure you have been stalking me on this issue for months. . .
"You wanna get into this????!"
http://aschaper1.blogspot.com/2012/10/berman-sherman-you-wanna-get-into-this.html
Take a breather, mensch!