“Big Journalism” has this article on California’s Proposition 14, with an emphasis on how three big California newspapers, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Sacramento Bee, have used misleading logic in their editorials supporting California’s “top-two” Proposition 14.
Andrew Breitbart founded Big Journalism in December 2009. Breitbart formerly worked for the Drudge Report and the Huffington Post. The article about Proposition 14 is by Thomas Del Beccaro.
Although the article does not mention any details about how the Chronicle, the Mercury News, and the Bee determined their support for Proposition 14, it should be noted that the Chronicle only invited proponents to speak to the editorial board, and did not invite opponents to come to speak. The Chronicle heard from Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, and Jason Olson of Independent Voice, but no one on the other side. The San Jose Mercury News also did not invite opponents of Proposition 14 to speak to its editorial board. The Sacramento Bee, to its credit, did invite opponents of Proposition 14 to address its editorial board.
Thank you for reporting the facts Richard.
I spoke against Prop 14 at the San Luis Obispo [city] Chamber of Commerce legislative Cmt. They decided to support Prop 14. There was a Libertarian Voter there who appeared to like the idea. We were not permitted to listen in on their discussion so I don’t know why they voted to support. I will ask for a copy of their report to their members.
Something came up the other day regarding speaking to this issue and I thought Christina would be the best choice. We need to get as much exposure on this as we can. Are you working with the Greens, etc?
The “article” is an editorial bu Thomas Del Beccaro, Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party.
“all of the parties and candidates are forced into a single primary”
He doesn’t mention all the voters. Perhaps some of the voters sweat.
not one single minor party member ever qualified for the second round in Louisiana in 35 years of that state’s use of the top-two system
Louisiana has a larger share of independents elected as such in its legislature than any state other than Virginia (and excluding Nebraska which has non-partisan elections).
#3: “Perhaps some of the voters sweat.”
A lot of voters probably sweat when they only have two choices in the final election, both of whom may be from the same party. Having to choose between Tweedledee and Tweedledum is enough to make anybody sweat.
Many Louisiana voters were sweating in 1991, when their final choice for governor was a crook versus the ex-Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. And many Louisianans were again sweating in 1995, when their final choice for governor was a white conservative Republican against a black liberal Democrat.
All of Louisiana’s state legislative seats will be up for election in 2011, and we’ll see how many independents get elected then.
I notice that you didn’t mention Washington state in your last paragraph. Washington, of course, is the only state besides Louisiana and Nebraska that has nonpartisan state legislative elections (Minnesotans tried it, 1913-1973, after which they wisely restored party primaries for the legislature).
What genius paper will detect having P.R. and A.V. = NO primaries are needed = ONE regular election per year.
#3 Washington has only used the Top 2 Open primary for one cycle. It would be premature to determine whether a culture of independent legislators develops.