A
self-proclaimed political junkie says there is. Reid Wilson on his Washington Post blog enthuses over:
“A
top-two primary system, one that incentivizes candidates in even the most
conservative or liberal districts to appeal to the vast middle that otherwise
plays a limited role in picking members of Congress.
“In
California and Washington state, that top-two system is already in effect. And
in both states, the hard right and the hard left have seen their influence
wane.”
Whether
or not such a change can overcome gerrymandering is problematical, but its
implementation, sanctioned by the Roberts Supreme Court in 2008, could hardly
produce worse results than the election of 2012 in which House Democrats nationally
won by over 1.4 million votes but the GOP retained a 33-seat advantage with an
overall majority of 17 seats.
In this
climate, conservative Republicans are as frustrated as Independent voters. If
more states were to embrace a top-two primary system, the Tea Party would no
longer be able to rule in Washington with unchecked fanaticism.
It’s
time for members of a Radical Middle who still believe in reason to get their
chance to shape American politics.
Update: With new polls showing
voters increasingly turning against Tea Party tactics, the time is ripe to push
for reform of a primary process that keeps their zealots in power to browbeat a
majority of Americans.
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