[Vision2020] Can Clinton Win?(Forgetting something)
Paul Duffau
pduffau@adelphia.net
Sun, 04 Jan 2004 19:44:29 -0800
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Tom,
The primary process is a function of the political parties as evidenced by
the cancellation of the Democratic primary in WA. In those, yes, you
should be a party member not because you wish to cause havoc to the party
but because you believe the platform most closely resembles your own
beliefs and you wish to associate with others of like mind. Joining a
party is a good faith contract - but violation of that good faith has zero
downside for those that wish to corrupt the process. At the risk of
repeating myself, the parties are private entities. Open primaries would
be like me demanding the right to vote for the officers of the Moose Lodge
without becoming a Moose (physical similarities aside) or doing whatever I
could to destroy the integrity of their election.
General elections are not private parties. While your party would say you
have an obligation to support their candidate, they have no right to demand
it because your Constitutional right to vote free of interference
supercedes the private right of the party.
I do not understand why you believe that I should support open
primaries. Some days I'm slow, so if you would point out where I indicated
that I found them acceptable, I'd appreciate it.
Paul Duffau
At 06:31 PM 1/4/04 -0800, you wrote:
>I do not (and neither does the US Constitution) consider my manner in
>which I vote to be "intellectual fraud" or "cheating". However, if you
>truly feel that way, I suppose that you would support me in eliminating
>party-line primary elections. Or are you saying that if I register as a
>Democrat, I should restrict my vote to Democrats ONLY, primary and general
>elections?
>
>Tom Hansen
>Moscow, Idaho
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Tom,<br>
<br>
The primary process is a function of the political parties as evidenced
by the cancellation of the Democratic primary in WA. In those, yes,
you should be a party member not because you wish to cause havoc to the
party but because you believe the platform most closely resembles your
own beliefs and you wish to associate with others of like mind.
Joining a party is a good faith contract - but violation of that good
faith has zero downside for those that wish to corrupt the process.
At the risk of repeating myself, the parties are private entities.
Open primaries would be like me demanding the right to vote for the
officers of the Moose Lodge without becoming a Moose (physical
similarities aside) or doing whatever I could to destroy the integrity of
their election.<br>
<br>
General elections are not private parties. While your party would
say you have an obligation to support their candidate, they have no right
to demand it because your Constitutional right to vote free of
interference supercedes the private right of the party.<br>
<br>
I do not understand why you believe that I should support open
primaries. Some days I'm slow, so if you would point out where I
indicated that I found them acceptable, I'd appreciate it.<br>
<br>
Paul Duffau<br>
<br>
At 06:31 PM 1/4/04 -0800, you wrote:<br>
<font size=2 color="#0000FF"><blockquote type=cite cite>I do not (and
neither does the US Constitution) consider my manner in which I vote to
be "intellectual fraud" or "cheating". However,
if you truly feel that way, I suppose that you would support me in
eliminating party-line primary elections. Or are you saying that if
I register as a Democrat, I should restrict my vote to Democrats ONLY,
primary and general elections?</font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 color="#0000FF">Tom Hansen</font><br>
Moscow, Idaho</blockquote></html>
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