BCT Editorial – 4/17/09

This page was last updated on April 18, 2009.

Middle ground; Editorial; Beaver County Times; April 17, 2009.

The editorial subtitle is “Election laws must be changed to give independents a voice.”

This is just another in a series of editorials (“Free agents” and “Switch hitters” are examples) advocating an open primary system. In an open primary system, you can vote in any party’s primary regardless of your own party registration. In some cases, you can vote in one party’s primary for one office and in another’s party’s primary for another office.

If a person doesn’t want to belong to a political party, why should he get to vote in that party’s candidate selection process? This would be like allowing West Virginians or Ohioans to vote in Pennsylvania elections. Oops, perhaps I’ve given the Times an idea. <g>

I have to conclude the Times believes there’s some advantage to the left from an open primary. Could that be because “independents” tend to be like smoke in the wind?

The editorial says, “The result is that party hardliners dominate primaries, often nominating candidates who are more liberal or conservative than the general voting public and leaving independents with a lesser-of-two-evils vote in November.” If true, how does the Times explain Sens. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME)? All three could easily pass for Democrats.