Let's Jail all the Moderates

At a casual gathering during the last presidential campaign, a discussion arose. The press had recently reported that staunch Republicans were changing party affiliations to vote in the Democratic national primary, thinking that since the Republican primary was already sewn up, they would use their vote toward the Democrat least likely to offer serious competition for their candidate. Democrats have done the same in prior elections. It’s largely ineffective, because the numbers who do so (in a nationwide election, anyway) aren’t large enough to sway results.

Anyway, at this party, an politically liberal acquaintance expressed outrage at this tactic, and blustered that it should be illegal. I replied that I regularly switched party affiliation (I spend most of the year as an Independent) in order to vote in the most interesting primary. He looked at me and replied, “You should be jailed.”

The problem is, that’s really the only option for moderates in a system of closed primaries. Our system allows for only two parties, unless we want the House of Representatives deciding every election, which is what our constitution requires when one candidate does not receive greater than 50% of the votes in a general presidential election. Imagine three strong parties with three strong candidates. It is possible, even likely, that EVERY election would be decided by the House of Representatives. Few voters favor that option.

So, for better or for worse, we are stuck with a two-party system. But the parties have become polarized in the past twenty years, and neither speaks well for the vast majority of voters in the middle. Many moderates just toss a coin and grudgingly choose an affiliation. Others of us register Independent, and change our affiliation to vote positively in the primary of our choice. Is it ideal? No. But until the parties are willing to offer open primary elections, it’s the only choice available.

Besides, I’m a taxpayer, and it’s MY money that pays for primary elections. Caucuses are paid for by the party itself. So unless the political parties choose to scrap primary elections for primary caucuses, I maintain that it’s my right as a taxpayer to participate in the primary election, and to change my party affiliation as many times as I legally can.

So jail me. Jail all the moderates. At least then the majority of the country would finally get free health care…