OMG - I just rushed up the stairs to the computer and can hardly contain my glee. Glee does not usually result in a rant, but there's a-move-a-foot, something positive and hopeful and meaningful and it's in politics, and this thing, this idea could, possibly, be the beginning of the end of our completely fucked up political system. No, I'm not talking about the recall of Russell Pearce, which is an obvious glimmer of light. What I am talking about is a ballot initiative being penned as I type by a former Phoenix mayor named Paul Johnson, a Democrat turned Independent, and his committee. This ballot measure, called The Open Government Initiative, would change the Arizona constitution to allow a single election primary open to ALL candidates and ALL registered voters with the top vote getter's moving on to the general election. It would effectively kill the god-awful 2-party system we have all had to endure for way too long. Like I said, OMG!! Parties could still run their primaries at their own expense (not taxpayers) and candidates are free to put their party affiliation on the ballot. But an Independent could now run in the primary as an Independent, not a "moderate Democrat" or "centrist Republican" or some other slightly right/left of Atilla The Hun label or whatever crap label the opposing party wants to stamp a candidate with. Think about it - this forces politicians to appeal to all voters in the primary, not just their own whacked out party loyalists.
I first read about this several months ago and checked out the website address. Not much of a site at the time but I sent in an e-mail asking for more information. Weeks went by and no reply, so I figured this was just another flash-in-the-pan idea that had already been stomped to death by the 2-party behemoth. But then, last week, an e-mail popped up from Mr. Johnson himself, apologizing for the slow reply as the response to the article had completely overwhelmed the website and staff. I almost cried. Could this be the beginning, the revolutionary idea that finally empowers the masses to actually change our dysfunctional, hypocritical, paralyzed form of government by giving people a THIRD CHOICE???? In Arizona, there are now more voters registered with no-party affiliation (read: Independents) than there are registered Democrats. And the numbers keep growing, and growing quickly. From April 1st of this year to July 1st, there were 13,149 people who registered to vote with no party preference, yet the total voter registration only increased by 1,986. So over 11,000 dumped one of the 2 parties to change to no party! That's huge, and a story no one is talking about. Registered Repubes still out-number Independents in Arizona, but just barely.
When this measure sees the light of day, Demos and Repubes will, at last, have something they can agree on. But how uncomfortably delicious it will be watching them squirm as they try and mealy-mouth their concerns about changing the way, you know, things have always been and how the electorate, you know, doesn't know what they're doing here and, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah............ Oh sweet Jesus, let it happen!
This could be a game-changer. Paul Johnson was, in my humble opinion, the best damn mayor Phoenix has had since I've been living here. He's smart and he knows how to get shit done. Then it will be up to the nearly one million registered Arizona Independents to act and get this initiative on the ballot. It seems impossible to fathom that this measure would not be approved, but we are talking about Arizona. The level of bi-polar conscientiousness in this State is beyond belief - passing medical marijuana in the same election where Russel Pearce and Jan Brewer were elected is just one fine example. But I believe this time it's different. The Great Recession has accelerated the once slow, insidious decline of the middle class in this country, a decline perpetuated by government polarization from a 2-party system where the easiest thing to do is just kick the stinking turd down the road for the next group of suckers who will then do everything they can to keep from stepping on it. People have fucking had it!! With more choice will come more action from elected individuals not beholding to a party dogma and free to actually do what the people elected then to do.
I know, I know, this whole idea is fanciful, and idealistic, and perhaps not even the big thing that finally makes a difference. But how wonderful it is to contemplate the possibility of figuratively checking the ballot box in a future election: "none of the above"!
No comments:
Post a Comment