The Arizona Libertarian Party recently decided to open its August 2012 primary to independent voters, and to voters who are registered into unqualified parties. See this story.
The Arizona Libertarian Party recently decided to open its August 2012 primary to independent voters, and to voters who are registered into unqualified parties. See this story.
Good for them!
A very wise decision I believe. Libertarians – like Constitutionalists and even the Prohibitionists – must learn that you cannot build a party solely on “lock step” doctrine. If the Founding Fathers had to work from a “bundle of compromises” to get our republic going, how does the doctrinaire Libertarians or any other narrow thinking group honestly beleive they can win let alone govern without the “independent” voters.
With independents able to vote in the Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian primaries, why does Arizona need Top Two?
The right thing to do
#3, the backers of the Arizona top-two initiative, especially the ones who have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to pass the measure, don’t really care about independent voters. They try to develop a sense of grievance among independent voters, but, as you noted, independent voters in Arizona in 2012 can choose any one of five party primary ballots. In that sense Arizona independent voters have more voting choices in the primary than members of parties.
The real motivation of the backers of the Arizona initiative is that they don’t like the kind of people who win Arizona Republican primaries, especially for the state legislature.
@5 You are so full of BS! Like you know what voters are thinking. How arrogant!
#6, if the backers of the initiative (which is costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to qualify for the ballot) really cared about independents, they would have done an initiative to help independent candidates. Arizona requires the 7th highest number of signatures for a statewide independent of any state, and has a deadline that is far too early (May)(the primary is in August). Arizona is one of only 5 states in which the Constitution Party has never been able to place its presidential nominee on the ballot.
@7 Again, you can’t read the minds of the voters and/or the backers.
When you make accusations, judgments and take sides, you’re encouraging division, and these same divisions are counter-productive for teamwork, inclusion and conciliation.
I have doubts about the basis for your continued promotion of fighting in plurality districts, since you’re biased against fair elections and proper vote counts.
Hon MP Richard Winger’s [Libertarian] is to promote plurality elections, single-winner districts like IRV, unfair advantages for pluralists, fighting w/pluralists, etc.
He does not know how to work together under pure proportional representation, Sainte-Lague parliament seat distribution system, Hagenbach-Bishoff method, get stronger by teamwork and cooperation based on PR.
He promotes divisions, not camaraderie.
PR, could you please shut the fuck up!
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
ONE election day per cycle.
Equal nominating petitions.
NO moron primaries.
Save some public cash for 4 July fireworks – to remember the American deaths and injuries in 1775-1783 – in the long WAR against the EVIL Brit monarchy/oligarchy.
#7 The Arizona Top 2 Open Primary reform requires that the qualification is the same for all candidates is the same regardless of their party affiliation or lack thereof, and that it be based on votes cast for the office at the previous election.
Currently, it is based on party registration, but the initiative requires it to be based on votes cast for the office.
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