Thursday, June 10, 2010

Jungle Primary

I see that California is going to an open primary system. Ha! Serves them right!

Louisiana has been using that system for years. It was conceived by Edwin Edwards, our now convicted governor as a way to even the score with Republicans. In Louisiana, back in the day, nearly everyone was registered Democrat. If you wanted to run for elective office, you might face ten or twelve challengers in the primary race. If you succeeded in an expensive, bruising primary, you emerged battered and scarred with most of your money spent. The Republicans would hold a conference and put someone on the ticket. Then, the Democrat candidate would face a fresh candidate in the general election.

Edwards thought that this was patently unfair and worked for an open primary system so that the Republicans had to get out and mix it up in the primary system. It's led to some interesting results, like the race where Louisiana voters woke up one Sunday morning and found that they were facing a choice between Edwin Edwards (a crook, but we love him) and David Duke, at that time the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. I can remember seeing bumper stickers in that race that said "Vote for the Crook, it's important."

SO, to you folks in California. Good luck with that.

3 comments:

J said...

Bill Clinton should have remembered one of Edwin Edwards's famous quotes: The people of Louisiana will elect me unless I'm found in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.

Edwards would have said, "Yes, I had sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. Next question."

Rivrdog said...

The whole primary system is un-necessary, and a drag on our political system. The parties should caucus to pick those who will carry their banner.

If, as an aspiring politician, you can't figure out how to work your way up through the party system to be considered for nomination, you aren't going to be much of a political leader.

be603 said...

Prop 14 -- all thanks to Ah-nold. gggrrrrr, and I have no time for range therapy today.