So, today I got in a discussion with someone who argued that open primaries would drive Americans to "the center" as cross party voting would be a thing, and that the 20% "most extreme" voters end up voting in individual parties.
Here's the thing though. I don't necessarily believe this (or more precisely believe extremism within the parties is asymmetrical), and I support Yang's agenda so that often times more "extreme" ideologies are allowed to succeed in electoral politics.
To me the problem is the two party duopoly. We have two choices, and they're like Coke vs Pepsi. Or more recently, like flat Diet Coke (not even Coke Zero) vs battery acid. The two parties are fundamentally captured by big money and special interests, and closed primaries just ensure that they remain the same. Most who bother registering with the parties are more partisan and identify with the party as it exists. This is not the same as being extreme, ideologically. Being "liberal" or "progressive" or "socialist" doesn't mean you agree with democrats inherently, nor does being "conservative" mean you have to agree with republicans. You might be an supporter of an ideology, but NOT agree with the party.
And to discuss the asymmetry I mentioned. On the republican side, yeah, the most extreme elements of the party wins. But on the democrats, it's the moderates who have power. It's not Bernie Sanders and progressives who wield power in the democrats, it's people like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. And people who DO have more left wing views aren't represented. Progressives get coopted into the party and watered down. And people like Yang have no chance. The fact is, with the closed primary system, self identified "democrats" end up voting for democrats in primaries, and they like the Clinton and Biden wing of the party. People like Yang, or even Sanders, are actually "independents" with no real home in the party. The party is hostile to their interests, and are often bullied and browbeaten to NOT support third parties, because they're told if they don't, the republicans will win.
This is the environment that has driven me to the Forward Party, and while I am a supporter of it, I'm a nominal supporter who has my own mind and will be critical of it when needed. And the moderation schtick is one of those things that don't sit well with me.
I'm not here to make things more moderate mostly. I'm here because I understand the only way my ideas can take root in this system, the duopoly needs too be broken up. The duopoly robs all independents of their ideologies. People with new and unique ideas that bring the country foeward are not allowed to have their ideas heard. Because either you're a republican, and subscribe to that set of ideas, or a democrat. And democrats are hostile to anyone who is to the left of them on economics. Third parties, open primaries, and ranked choice voting are the way out.
Maybe my ideas won't win in that system either. They are unique and relatively esoteric compared to the general public. But, they would have a better chance than they do now, and what would stop them would be a much fairer system than exists now. And I would be able to vote my conscience, and have my views heard better than they are now. The duopoly is problem number one as far as the political system goes. It literally stifles peoples' views, and my goal is to expand the overton window so we can have many ideas competing with each other on even ground rather than being forced to adopt two options. It is better for representatives to come from 4-6 parties and represent that range of opinions than be locked into dealing with 2.
And if we are forced to deal with two, it's better those two are more representative of the larger public and not largely dictated by relative few who then impose themselves on the rest of the public under the banner of lesser evilism.
I want politicians that actually represent me. Under the current system, they do not. And I feel like the system is hostile too my actual beliefs, and unrepresentative of what I actually want. I don't always agree with the forward party, but given its goals in making the system more representative, and its support for basic income, I fully support it as a vehicle for my ideas at this current point in time.
No comments:
Post a Comment