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Yes on Proposition 14
March 27, 2010
Mendocino County voters should vote Yes on California Proposition 14.
According to the California Secretary of State's office, "Changes the primary election process for congressional, statewide, and legislative races. Allows all voters to choose any candidate regardless of the candidate’s or voter’s political party preference. Ensures that the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes will appear on the general election ballot regardless of party preference." [See June 8, 2010 California Voter Information Guide]
The Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and even the Green Party and other small parties are against this measure. It threatens political parties as we know them in California. It threatens corruption and graft, single-party districts, and incumbents. It threatens allowing the citizens to have some power through their elected representatives, and that frightens the old guard of all the parties.
In the State Assembly, State Senate, and Congressional districts that Mendocino County is party of, this law might mean the demise of the Republican Party. With Democrats typically polling over 70% of the vote in November elections, the runner-up Democrat in the primary could conceivably get enough votes so that in November we would choose between two Democrats. It is also conceivable that the election would be between a Green Party nominee and a Democrat since Democrats would be able to vote for the Green Party nominee in the primary.
The usual Yes on 14 explanation is that because most seats are firmly in the Republican or Democratic camp, the winner of the primary of the dominant party can ignore the voters in the opposing party. Thus, by appealing to the motivated base of a party, we tend to get lefty Democrats and righty Republicans who can't do simple things like getting a budget in on time in Sacramento. In the new system moderates who can attract independent voters would have a good chance at becoming one of the two candidates to make it to November.
I think the underlying problem is that California parties are tied to national parties that do represent us. They represent the conservative south, or the midwestern automotive industry, or the ethanol-crazed farmers of the plains, but not California.
Proposition 14 might encourage the formation of California-centric parties that can govern our state well despite whatever the national parties decide to do. They might be the same old parties reborn, or entirely new parties.
The world is changing rapidly, and California should be a world leader. Proposition 14 is an example of making our system of government more democratic, more transparent, and more effective.
Please vote Yes on Proposition 14.
William P. Meyers
