It’s a time for choosing, I concluded yesterday, for Republican voters — between the so-called “establishment” Republicans endorsing Donald Trump’s candidacy and those, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, and both President Bushes, who have declined to endorse.
Sen. John McCain’s admonition that, “You have to listen to people that have chosen the nominee of our Republican Party,” raises the imperative question: Who gets to choose?
Moreover, who should choose?
I’m a big fan of democracy — not pure democracy as a form of government, of course, but voting as a wonderful mechanism for people to control their government, and therefore, to protect our rights, our republic.
Yet, the Republican and Democratic Parties are private associations of citizens. We have a right to vote on who serves in public office, but not a right to decide who is nominated by a political party to which we do not belong.
“Without borders,” Mr. Trump has argued, “we don’t have a country.” To which a Republican friend recently added, “Without borders, we don’t have a party.”
People in political parties, as in any association, have rights, including who they nominate and how. Parties should be independent, not government-controlled.
Nor should political parties be advantaged in law, or their primaries and national conventions subsidized by taxpayers, as they are now.
Trump has railed that the GOP nomination process is rigged. Like most public-private partnerships, it is! But not the way you might think … as I’ll delve into tomorrow.
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5 replies on “Listen to Whom?”
many people do not know about the large part the R’s and D’s are supported by government. Good to bring out the financial entangling,
What is the point of having primary voting by the registered voters of a given Party, if the Party refuses to nominate the person voters choose? The voting pamphlet lists the names of those in the Party to choose from. Trump is the one Republican voters want. What’s more to say? Too many people have died in combat and the Civil Rights struggle over the years for the privilege to vote. Granted, many of us don’t have the education, or vote for a person/proposed law, based on stupid reasoning, or emotional reasons, not really knowing why. That’s why our founding fathers originally had only persons of means, or landowners, since they had the education to vote in a reasonable, logical way. I’ve asked my granddaughter, and ex-wife why they don’t like D.Trump. They can’t tell me why, they just don’t like him. Does that make sense? Both Trump and Clinton are egocentric, and not of good character. I believe, however that Mrs. Clinton would make poor decisions, based on her past behavior, in regards to using our military. Both she and her husband have gotten rich receiving money from foreign entities. She OWES them, and they OWN her. I don’t know how Mr. Trump would handle things, but what choice have we been given by the largest Parties? The other candidates from the Republican side are owned by established powers, and Mr. Sanders answer to everything is more taxes, such as we have here in California, causing one business after another, and more families of means to leave the state. Who do you suggest, Mr. Jacob?
I’m a big fan of democracy — not pure democracy as a form of government, of course, but voting as a wonderful mechanism for people to control their government, and therefore, to protect our rights, our republic.
I have to say I think you’re being naïve, Paul. When candidates promise nice things but aren’t held to any formal account when they do the exact opposite after being elected, how is possible to vote intelligently?
I’m for the complete Separation of Party and State. Parties should be 100% private organizations that get their candidates on the ballot through coordinated petition drives, and that campaign for those candidates. It’s more than reasonable to restrict the party nomination process to members with a record of donating dollars or time to the party. It makes no sense to allow anyone, including those who seek to harm the party’s general election chances„ to walk in and vote in primaries.
Also, there should be no party affiliation on ballots. Voters shouldn’t be able to just vote “party line” with no effort; they should know beforehand which candidate for each office is from the party they favor. Elected officeholders would be formally nonpartisan.
And of course, no party should get any subsidies whatsoever. No one should be forced to financially support candidates or ideas they find abhorrent.
.…both President Bushes .…
[SCEEEEEEEECH — Sound of fingernails on chalk board] Make that “both presidents, Bush.”
(English, as she is spoke)