As a registered independent, I found the comments made by Sen. Julian Carroll, D-Anderson, about voters like myself to be, quite frankly, hilariously stupid.
While I’m sure we all respect Sen. Carroll’s 175 years of service to the commonwealth (did you know he helped Daniel Boone pick out the curtains for the old Capitol?), his logic (or lack of it, evidenced here) regarding America’s glorious and efficient two-party system is troublesome: Instead of trying to change Kentucky’s closed primary system — which has the effect of entrenching corrupt, senile “legislators” whom will remain nameless for the purposes of this post — Carroll suggests that independents should instead seek to create their own party and leave him the hell alone.
We shouldn’t have to break out the Groucho Marx quotations to understand this, but the independent’s raison d’etre precludes party affiliation. Or, to put this in language that Sen. Carroll would understand:
YOU ARE KILLING ‘MERICA NOW GO TO BED YOU SILLY OLD FART.
9 Comments
And by the same token, independents (like you and me) should not desire to participate in party decision-making. If one wants to vote in a party primary, they should join that particular party.
I think it would be much more in line with the Founders’ wishes to push for statewide nonpartisan elections. Let’s just end having parties at all.
While nonpartisan elections are ideal, allowing independents to flex their sizable electoral muscles via primaries is a baby step in the right direction, me thinks.
But then lazy people wouldn’t know who to vote for. Half the nation would stop voting.
Half the nation ALREADY doesn’t vote, so hopefully opening up the primaries — which would force candidates to appeal to audiences beyond their provincial bases — might bring a few more lardasses to the polls.
A Semi open primary in Kentucky is exactly what we need to fight party corruption. At this point in time party “bosses” and “big wigs” get behind their “candidate” while lesser known and underfunded “party” candidates don’t have a chance to provide real change. It is a Politicians job to appeal to everyone not just his/her party. What they are saying in Frankfort is they don’t want Independent voters in their primary, don’t you think this will push them away in the General election? The Democrats of Massachusetts should be an example of ignoring “Independent Voters”!
Another issue is the taxpayers paying for these primaries. If the “Party” wants their own primary stop spending tax dollars that come from Independents as well as all other Americans. As a Independent that has never been registered to a party I want these party politicians to ignite my passions as a voter and make me consider voting for them and their party.
I would be glad to answer any questions about SB 53, and Open/Semi open primaries.
Michael P.W. Lewis
Chairman Independent Kentucky
Too many people in Ky are registered one way and vote another anyway. With wide-open primaries we’d have so much cross-voting for non-viable candidates that one day we’d wake up and David O. Williams would be squaring off against Gatewood Galbraith for governor, and then where would we be? Keep things the imperfect but non-dangerous way they are.
i think everyone is missing the point
Information
http://www.openprimaries.org
Zinger, we don’t have a open primary and yet David and Gatewood are still facing off in 2011 for Governor!
When people are drugged, it becomes easier for the government to control them.
Vote Gatewood G. for a meaningful change in how KY is “led”!
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[...] the tyrannical, Julian “BLAAGHGRGHAGHHH!” Carroll-endorsed two-party reign of closed Kentucky primaries be a thing of the past? [...]
[...] an exchange I had with former Kentucky governor-cum-State Senator-cum-burgeoning coot Julian “RAAAARWHHHRRRRRAAGGHHH!” Carroll, D-Anderson, that touches upon this very topic: Last night, while getting drunk at a [...]