I just had this fight with some folks. My point was that denying protest in primaries denies all voice to dissent. Their point was that dissent in the primaries weakens the candidate in the general. I believe that both points are right, and that therefore our democracy is dead.
Unless we’re able to (a) eliminate the electoral college, and (b) institute a different voting tool e.g. ranked choice, then we are fucked.
E.g. ranked choice, I’m not saying only ranked choice. It could be approval voting for all I care, as long as if isn’t first-past-the-post, it would be an improvement.
A primary challenge strengthens the successful candidate in the general. Our democracy is deeply flawed, but it always has been. It’s not worse than in the past when only a tiny fraction of the population was allowed to vote. This is the first time in history that we’re seeing serious national discussion of ranked voting, and some states and localities have implemented it.
Approval voting is actually worse than first past the post, in my opinion. We need ranked choice, IRV or STV as appropriate.
The democracy is already dead.
I just had this fight with some folks. My point was that denying protest in primaries denies all voice to dissent. Their point was that dissent in the primaries weakens the candidate in the general. I believe that both points are right, and that therefore our democracy is dead.
Unless we’re able to (a) eliminate the electoral college, and (b) institute a different voting tool e.g. ranked choice, then we are fucked.
E.g. ranked choice, I’m not saying only ranked choice. It could be approval voting for all I care, as long as if isn’t first-past-the-post, it would be an improvement.
A primary challenge strengthens the successful candidate in the general. Our democracy is deeply flawed, but it always has been. It’s not worse than in the past when only a tiny fraction of the population was allowed to vote. This is the first time in history that we’re seeing serious national discussion of ranked voting, and some states and localities have implemented it.
Approval voting is actually worse than first past the post, in my opinion. We need ranked choice, IRV or STV as appropriate.