California City News has this op-ed, written by me, about the effect the California top-two system has had on minor parties.
Comments
California City News Carries Op-Ed on Top-Two System Impact on Minor Parties — 6 Comments
Where are the genius folks noting that the top 2 stuff has produced even more robot party hack extremists ???
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NO primaries.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Richard Winger wrote;
Proposition 14, which was on the ballot as a measure to “increase participation in primaries” has not actually increased participation in California primaries. It was implemented in 2012 and that year’s primary had the second lowest turnout for a regularly-scheduled statewide primary in California history. It got worse in 2014, when California had the worst primary turnout for a statewide primary in history.
Me;
Look in the mirror, Richard. While you were preaching about the negatives of Top Two, filing lawsuits and punching the emotional buttons of the voters on behalf of your hostilities towards a small step forward for voting reform, we at the 9th USA Parliament were building teams of candidates from all political parties.
Candidates across California and the USA had respected your opinion Richard, but you have forsaken that respect in your drive to divide the voters and rebel against the majority of voters who had approved Top Two.
The decrease in voter turnout is not due to Top Two, but due to the hostile voice of those dividing and creating hostilities among voters.
Rather than talking smack about Top Two, I suggest that we look in the mirror. How can we effectively change things within our control?
The noise generated for the past four years by Richard Winger, the so-called leaders of the Green, Libertarian, Peace & Freedom Parties, Free & Equal and everyone involved in the efforts to discredit Top Two is the reason for the low voter turnout.
Voters are simply turned off by your negativity, your message of hope being squashed and your continual attempts to sacrifice fairness in you unending arrogance for the power-grabs which you promote year after year at the expense of voter unity.
I applaud Top Two and encourage efforts to implement such incremental steps forward in the interest of fairness and unity.
Very truly yours,
–James Ogle [Republican]
Candidate for President if the USA
The United Coalition http://www.usparliament.org/
Geez Ogle… there is a big difference between fantasy and reality which seems to escape you!
That was an excellent article, Richard. Thank you for writing it and getting it published.
Enjoyed the Op-Ed, but the statement “In November 2014, California voters were the only voters in the nation in which it was impossible for a voter to vote for someone who was not a Democrat or a Republican” is just a touch off. The 44th Congressional district November election was between democrat Janice Hahn and Peace and Freedom nominee Adam Shbeita, who took 13.3%.
Statewide was all D/R matches, of course.
I meant to say “for statewide office”. I did have that phrase earler, but I should have repeated it.
Where are the genius folks noting that the top 2 stuff has produced even more robot party hack extremists ???
—-
NO primaries.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Richard Winger wrote;
Proposition 14, which was on the ballot as a measure to “increase participation in primaries” has not actually increased participation in California primaries. It was implemented in 2012 and that year’s primary had the second lowest turnout for a regularly-scheduled statewide primary in California history. It got worse in 2014, when California had the worst primary turnout for a statewide primary in history.
Me;
Look in the mirror, Richard. While you were preaching about the negatives of Top Two, filing lawsuits and punching the emotional buttons of the voters on behalf of your hostilities towards a small step forward for voting reform, we at the 9th USA Parliament were building teams of candidates from all political parties.
Candidates across California and the USA had respected your opinion Richard, but you have forsaken that respect in your drive to divide the voters and rebel against the majority of voters who had approved Top Two.
The decrease in voter turnout is not due to Top Two, but due to the hostile voice of those dividing and creating hostilities among voters.
Rather than talking smack about Top Two, I suggest that we look in the mirror. How can we effectively change things within our control?
The noise generated for the past four years by Richard Winger, the so-called leaders of the Green, Libertarian, Peace & Freedom Parties, Free & Equal and everyone involved in the efforts to discredit Top Two is the reason for the low voter turnout.
Voters are simply turned off by your negativity, your message of hope being squashed and your continual attempts to sacrifice fairness in you unending arrogance for the power-grabs which you promote year after year at the expense of voter unity.
I applaud Top Two and encourage efforts to implement such incremental steps forward in the interest of fairness and unity.
Very truly yours,
–James Ogle [Republican]
Candidate for President if the USA
The United Coalition
http://www.usparliament.org/
Geez Ogle… there is a big difference between fantasy and reality which seems to escape you!
That was an excellent article, Richard. Thank you for writing it and getting it published.
Enjoyed the Op-Ed, but the statement “In November 2014, California voters were the only voters in the nation in which it was impossible for a voter to vote for someone who was not a Democrat or a Republican” is just a touch off. The 44th Congressional district November election was between democrat Janice Hahn and Peace and Freedom nominee Adam Shbeita, who took 13.3%.
Statewide was all D/R matches, of course.
I meant to say “for statewide office”. I did have that phrase earler, but I should have repeated it.