This Tacoma News Tribune story about the Washington state legislature and a proposed education bill seems to show that the Washington state legislature is characterized by excess partisanship and gridlock. Washington state has had the top-two system in effect for almost six years, and proponents of top-two systems assumed, wrongly, that it is a cure for such ills.
ANTI-Democracy minority rule gerrymander systems in the USA Congress and ALL 50 State legislatures.
1/2 votes x 1/2 gerrymander districts = 1/4 control.
i.e. COMMUNIST Donkeys vs. FASCIST Elephants — in their about 96 plus percent one party safe seat gerrymander districts
— in plurality primary or top 2 primary States.
—
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
It is by a curmudgeonly columnist, whose job is to be cynical or controversial, and lacks proper grammar. Like complete sentences.
Not an article or story at all.
Opponents of Top-2 don’t understand the purpose of the Open Primary. It simply permits the voters to vote for whichever candidate that they prefer. It is how most cities elect their city council or mayor.
The effect of top two in California has been to strengthen the party leadership at the expense of the registered voters in the party, especially in the few districts that are competitive between the parties.
Instead of the voters choosing the party candidates in the primnary, the party leadership lines up behind their preferred candidate. This will necessarily lead to more partishanship in the state legislature and among members of Congress from states with top two elections.