Instead of making airy-fairy* claims about what might hypothetically happen, tell us what HAS happened in states with open "jungle" primaries like Louisiana and California? There are stories there that involve the legislatures, not just statewide or federal elections. C'mon, reporting beats punditry any day!
* I suspect this is NOT a term of art in political science or journalism, but really, today's piece is mostly speculative except for the quotes.
I didn't explain this clearly: running the Arizona Agenda, you can't do a deep analysis comparing states but you CAN be a good nosy reporter and not let people you're interviewing get away with airy-fairy claims. Someone says that it's going to kill the Democrats, you could (and I think should) challenge that with, "Well, that's not what happened in California, why would it here?" Someone says that it's going to kill conservative changes? "Well, that's not what happened in Louisiana, why would it here?" Someone claims it'll lead to moderation? "That didn't happen in either California or Louisiana. Why should it here?"
How does / would the new elections initiative work with Voter Choice Arizona's Ranked Choice Voting initiative? Will they both be on the ballot? What happens if they both pass? A comparative analysis would be great!
Like it or not, we have 2 political parties. Primaries are not designed to find the "best" candidates for the election. They're supposed to allow the people in specific parties to select THEIR candidates. If the GOP - or anyone else - doesn't like who's getting nominated, they should vote. I mean they can sit at their table and fill out a ballot. How hard is that?? It's kind of like people who don't vote complaining about who gets elected. It's not up to me as a Democrat to save the GOP from itself.
Your footnote number two is exactly why the idea of removing “ extremists” on the right poses a danger to the Dems, in my view. The Dem party only looks progressive in relation to the right wing whackos— SURE a boatload of them supported SB1070. To say that there is a “left” in Az— or anywhere in this country, in fact— is to really malign what that word actually means,….honestly i just have to laugh at the idea that to the whackos the dems are considered “ socialist”—can outright ignorance be any more public? The so- called “center” in my view is nothing good —as current events, like political leadership of both sides happily bankrolling a genocide shows. And anyway, the idea that politicians actually listen to their constituents, even in a primary, is sort of laughable and quaint—as if where the money comes from makes no impact. Ok, rant over from someone who firmly believes that many many of those independants are actually outside of the political spectrum but towards the “ left”—and neither party is doing anything to earn their votes
I noted Jan Brewer's courageous Medicaid expansion in my book Sometimes David Wins. Backed by Arizona Interfaith and allied organizations. A lasting impact on the communities and families of Arizona!
I’m loving all the pieces about how the John Boehners and Eric Cantors and Jan Brewers and Doug Duceys and Kevin McCarthys are moderate and wouldn’t the world be a better place if these “moderate” statesman were assured a win. 😂
What f-ing scale are we using? I guess Phoenix in July isn’t that hot when compared to the surface of the sun? Good lord, y’all.
I don’t think it’s about policy positions any longer. Y’all don’t mean that Ducey has more moderate policy positions than Kari Lake, because he doesn’t. Tell me where they disagree on the environment or abortion or education. What you really mean is that Ducey isn’t banana town crazy pants like Kari Lake. McCarthy isn’t somehow slightly more progressive on healthcare or social services or taxes than Johnson- we just say that McCarthy is moderate by comparison because McCarthy doesn’t share porn monitoring apps with his children. Not buying into baseless conspiracy theories DOES NOT MAKE YOU MODERATE. It just makes you a hypocrite when you kowtow to the people that believe them.
Open primaries and ranked choice voting won’t help Arizona elect more moderate, middle of the road, bipartisan, compromising candidates- but, it might help us avoid electing people that so clearly need medical intervention and mental health care (*whispers Paul Gosar under my breath).
Unless you can get the rank and file GOP to back it- this will never happen. And, while we are at it, if someone could reply with the last time an Arizona Republican ever proposed legislation to make voting *easier* for the average citizen- I’ll consider that open primaries or ranked choice voting stands a chance in this state.
Bring on those open primaries.
Instead of making airy-fairy* claims about what might hypothetically happen, tell us what HAS happened in states with open "jungle" primaries like Louisiana and California? There are stories there that involve the legislatures, not just statewide or federal elections. C'mon, reporting beats punditry any day!
* I suspect this is NOT a term of art in political science or journalism, but really, today's piece is mostly speculative except for the quotes.
Sure, but california and louisiana aren't arizona.
I didn't explain this clearly: running the Arizona Agenda, you can't do a deep analysis comparing states but you CAN be a good nosy reporter and not let people you're interviewing get away with airy-fairy claims. Someone says that it's going to kill the Democrats, you could (and I think should) challenge that with, "Well, that's not what happened in California, why would it here?" Someone says that it's going to kill conservative changes? "Well, that's not what happened in Louisiana, why would it here?" Someone claims it'll lead to moderation? "That didn't happen in either California or Louisiana. Why should it here?"
How does / would the new elections initiative work with Voter Choice Arizona's Ranked Choice Voting initiative? Will they both be on the ballot? What happens if they both pass? A comparative analysis would be great!
Like it or not, we have 2 political parties. Primaries are not designed to find the "best" candidates for the election. They're supposed to allow the people in specific parties to select THEIR candidates. If the GOP - or anyone else - doesn't like who's getting nominated, they should vote. I mean they can sit at their table and fill out a ballot. How hard is that?? It's kind of like people who don't vote complaining about who gets elected. It's not up to me as a Democrat to save the GOP from itself.
Your footnote number two is exactly why the idea of removing “ extremists” on the right poses a danger to the Dems, in my view. The Dem party only looks progressive in relation to the right wing whackos— SURE a boatload of them supported SB1070. To say that there is a “left” in Az— or anywhere in this country, in fact— is to really malign what that word actually means,….honestly i just have to laugh at the idea that to the whackos the dems are considered “ socialist”—can outright ignorance be any more public? The so- called “center” in my view is nothing good —as current events, like political leadership of both sides happily bankrolling a genocide shows. And anyway, the idea that politicians actually listen to their constituents, even in a primary, is sort of laughable and quaint—as if where the money comes from makes no impact. Ok, rant over from someone who firmly believes that many many of those independants are actually outside of the political spectrum but towards the “ left”—and neither party is doing anything to earn their votes
Good open primary story...please keep after it.
I noted Jan Brewer's courageous Medicaid expansion in my book Sometimes David Wins. Backed by Arizona Interfaith and allied organizations. A lasting impact on the communities and families of Arizona!
I’m loving all the pieces about how the John Boehners and Eric Cantors and Jan Brewers and Doug Duceys and Kevin McCarthys are moderate and wouldn’t the world be a better place if these “moderate” statesman were assured a win. 😂
What f-ing scale are we using? I guess Phoenix in July isn’t that hot when compared to the surface of the sun? Good lord, y’all.
I don’t think it’s about policy positions any longer. Y’all don’t mean that Ducey has more moderate policy positions than Kari Lake, because he doesn’t. Tell me where they disagree on the environment or abortion or education. What you really mean is that Ducey isn’t banana town crazy pants like Kari Lake. McCarthy isn’t somehow slightly more progressive on healthcare or social services or taxes than Johnson- we just say that McCarthy is moderate by comparison because McCarthy doesn’t share porn monitoring apps with his children. Not buying into baseless conspiracy theories DOES NOT MAKE YOU MODERATE. It just makes you a hypocrite when you kowtow to the people that believe them.
Open primaries and ranked choice voting won’t help Arizona elect more moderate, middle of the road, bipartisan, compromising candidates- but, it might help us avoid electing people that so clearly need medical intervention and mental health care (*whispers Paul Gosar under my breath).
Unless you can get the rank and file GOP to back it- this will never happen. And, while we are at it, if someone could reply with the last time an Arizona Republican ever proposed legislation to make voting *easier* for the average citizen- I’ll consider that open primaries or ranked choice voting stands a chance in this state.