How to Fix our Politics

Where are the “Good Government” One-Issue Voters?

Photo by Jas Min on Unsplash

So-called “independent” voters are a growing cohort— according to Gallup (as reported here), more Americans identify as independents (40%) than as Democrats (29%) or Republicans (30%). More important, despite their general willingness to vote for the major parties and agreement with them on some issues, independents strongly believe that traditional parties are too extreme. 67% characterized the Democratic Party as too extreme, while an even larger 71% said the same about Republicans. When directly asked if both parties are too extreme, 70% agreed. How, though, can these unaffiliated voters get the parties to nominate better candidates?

So-called “Open Primaries” are not the solution. There is a movement today to create such primaries; I oppose it vehemently. Parties should exist, and their members should choose their candidates. Open primaries invite tactical chicanery, in which the “primaries” become bizarro first round general elections, with the actual general election being a run-off. That’s not how coherent policies are made and advanced by parties that have serious positions on important issues.

These awful candidates didn’t come out of nowhere. The loss of party discipline — the so-called “smoke-filled room” where picking winners happened — has gravely affected…