The Orange County Register has this editorial, opposing California’s Proposition 14, the top-two election measure.
The editorial does seem to suggest that a true open primary would be an improvement. See the fifth paragraph. An “open primary”, as defined in political science books and U.S. Supreme Court decisions for over 100 years, is a primary in which any voter is free, on primary day, to choose any party’s primary ballot. But, each party has its own primary ballot and its own nominees. The open primary originated in Wisconsin in 1907, and today almost half the states use an open primary. They are popular. True open primaries do not restrict choices in the general election. By contrast, Proposition 14 gives voters only two choices on the November ballot and does not permit write-ins to be counted.
Proponents of Proposition 14 have tried to mislead California voters by constantly referring to their measure as an “open primary.” But, top-two systems have been on state ballots four times now, and they have never been described as “open primaries” on any state’s ballot. In 2008, the Oregon Supreme Court refused to permit a top-two ballot measure to be labeled “open primary”; and in 2004, a California Superior Court also refused to allow that label.
In 2008, the Oregon ballot label was, “Changes general election nomination processes.” In Washington in 2004, the label was, “Concerns elections for partisan offices.” In California in 2004, it was, “Elections. Primaries.” This year in California, the title is simply, “Elections.”
The Orange County Register assumes that a top-two system produces more moderate office-holders. The evidence does not support that conclusion, and it is unfortunate that the Register didn’t acknowledge that point.
So far, every major California newspaper that has taken a position on Proposition 14 has stuck to the same position it had in November 2004 for the earlier top-two measure, Proposition 62. So far, every newspaper that was in favor of Proposition 62 back then is for Proposition 14 today. And every newspaper that was opposed in 2004 is opposed this year. The most prominent newspaper besides the Orange County Register that has taken a “No” position, this year, is the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Both newspapers also opposed Proposition 62 in 2004.
This year, none of the newspapers that have editorialized in favor of Proposition 14 invited any opponents of the measure to speak to their editorial boards, except that the Sacramento Bee did hear from both sides before it endorsed Proposition 14.
What is a newspaper? It that important?
Hello,
Following are my endorsements for the California Statewide Direct Primary Election for the Democratic Party of California and the County of Sacramento; and the Non-Partisan races and issues (June 8, 2010). I welcome comments and questions from everyone, of course. However, since I am still on my political sabbatical (for the most part) which began with the New Year, I will not be debating anyone about any of this. I am going through a period where my political activity is very minimal and I am finding more reward in reading, reflection, and study than I would from political activity. In addition, toward the end of last year, I was about as sick and tired of all the “political yelling†that a person could be. I do think that it is necessary for me to keep in touch with all of my contacts, though.
Governor: Edmund G. “Jerry†Brown
Lieutenant Governor: Janice Hahn
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen
Controller: John Chiang
Treasurer: Bill Lockyer
Attorney General: Kamala D. Harris
Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones
Member, State Board of Equalization, District 2: Chris Parker
United States Senator: Barbara Boxer
United States Representative, Congressional District 3: Ami Bera
Member of the State Assembly, Assembly District 5: Richard Pan
Democratic County Central Committee, District 5 (Six Seats): Kerri Asbury, Karen Bernal, Matt Gray, Warren Harding, Owen Jackman, and Bruce Pomer
State Superintendent of Public Instruction: Gloria Romero
County Board of Education, Governing Board Member, Area 3: Jackie Levy
Assessor: Kathleen E. Kelleher
District Attorney: Jan Scully
Sheriff: Scott Jones
Proposition 13: Yes
Proposition 14: No
Proposition 15: Yes
Proposition 16: No
Proposition 17: No
Yours truly,
Phil
Philippe L. Sawyer, Member:
Amnesty International USA
Coalition for Free and Open Elections
Democratic Party of the United States
Democratic Socialists of America
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
United Public Employees, Local #1
Here’s a basic rule of thumb when it comes to voting on propositions:
VOTE NO ON EVERY ONE OF THEM.
The end.
Following are my endorsements for the California Statewide Direct Primary Election (June 8, 2010) on the Propositions (my previous message contained all of my endorsements but the message was deleted – by the monitor, I guess):
Proposition 13: Yes
Proposition 14: No
Proposition 15: Yes
Proposition 16: No
Proposition 17: No
Well, the problem seems to be with my computer, not the monitor of the website. My earlier message is now appearing again. Modern technology, what can you do?
The post above says, “… top-two systems have been on state ballots four times now…” You’re counting California in 2004 and 2010, Washington state in 2004, and Oregon in 2008– of which the 2004 California measure and the Oregon measure were defeated, and the 2010 California proposition is pending.
Also, a “top two” ballot measure lost in California in 1915, as 58.2% of the voters said “NO.”
And, in 1921, the voters of North Dakota wisely defeated a “top two” measure.
Other than in Washington state, the only “top two” proposition that voters have passed was the 1934 measure to make Nebraska’s state legislative elections nonpartisan.
Wisconsin’s classic open primary was actually enacted in 1902. It’s “open primary, private choice,” in which each voter picks a party in the secrecy of the voting booth.
Mississippi enacted its statewide direct primary in 1902 and first used it in 1903. Of course, the Democrats were the only party that had a primary, since that was then the only party that mattered (it’s “open primary, public declaration”).
P.R. and nonpartisan A.V. = NO primaries are needed.
How many types of MORON party hack primaries are there ???
yeah, see the guy with who is a member of the united public employee union? Jerry Brown allowed CA’s public employees to unionize, and their pensions are starting to bankrupt us. I don’t know how a person could continue to endorsed the same policies that have brought this great state to its knees for the past 12 years running. Thank you Phil Sawyer, your list is going to form a solid starting point for me, i.e. crossing all those endorsements off my ballot.
It’s time to free CA workers and families from the public sector.