We all learn in high school civics classes that government of, by and for the people means that when a majority of the voters don’t like the policies of our elected officers, we can replace them via the ballot box. That rosy theory quickly disintegrates, courtesy of two anti-majoritarian subversions of the Lincolnian ideal.
The first is gerrymandered congressional and legislative districts that have made 85 percent of congressional and legislative districts (in Utah) non-competitive, single-party districts; where what happens in November is more of a coronation than election, because the dominant-party candidate will nearly always win (Rep. Jim Matheson is a unique exception).
Second is the caucus/convention system with which Utah is saddled, and which turns the real decisions about who will be elected over to fewer than 1 percent of our 2 million voters. The rest of Utah voters are then stuck with those decisions.
David Irvine Op-ed, Salt Lake Tribune
Oped: ‘Count My Vote’ is the elixer for Utah’s narrow-interest politics
October 19, 2013
Oped: ‘Count My Vote’ is the elixer for Utah’s narrow-interest politics
October 19, 2013
Delegates, party insiders, incumbents, and those who fear majority rule are not about to turn over control of who gets elected to the electorate at large. Utahns will be treated to a year’s worth of stories about the sky falling. Opposition will be framed in terms of preserving grassroots democracy, or keeping politics from becoming a rich man’s game. But the most insidious argument of all is this: "Delegates spend the time to become better informed about the candidates than anyone else."
Run for the exits when you hear that one.
What it really means is, "We’re doing you a favor by substituting our judgment and political goals for yours; we know better than you, and you’re not to be trusted to vote wisely." And that, frankly, is a crock.
David Irvine Op-ed, Salt Lake Tribune
Oped: ‘Count My Vote’ is the elixer for Utah’s narrow-interest politics
October 19, 2013
Oped: ‘Count My Vote’ is the elixer for Utah’s narrow-interest politics
October 19, 2013
Humdinger of an Guest Op-ed piece in Saturday's Tribune, by Salt Lake Attorney and former 4-term GOP Utah House Representative David Irvine:
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| Even in Utah? |
Keep your eyes on the ball, O Gentle Ones. Achieving full participatory democracy is a palpable possibility -- even in Utah -- as David Irvine so eloquently reminds us this morning.
5 comments:
It would be nice to at least have the illusion that we don't live in a total theocracy. Let us have our individual votes.
Utah's Neighborhood Elections force candidates to pay attention to rural areas
of Utah. Direct primaries encourage candidates to ignore rural areas and
communicate only by paid advertising. A direct primary would create
fly-over areas of Utah that will rarely get to meet their candidates
face to face.
We have a system that that does NOT favor the incumbent, the wealthy or
the famous. This is a good thing, and should be preserved.
The Neighborhood Election and Convention system in Utah is the best way
to make sure a grassroots process can win over large amounts of money.
It is the only way someone with $100,000 can go against someone with $2
million in election funds.
At only one time for 10 years in Utah’s history did the state depart
from the Neighborhood Election, Caucus and Convention System. In 1937,
a powerful democratic state senator convinced enough of the legislature
to switch to an open primary. He had had two losses, a US Senate race
and also for governor, because the majority of the convention delegates
disagreed with his legislative voting record. But he was well known and
had money.
Many at the time felt like an open primary was his ticket to the
governorship, and he did win. But the change in the system only lasted
for a decade. After public and media disillusionment, and even worse
voter turnout, Utah restored the Caucus and Convention System. Why go
back?
Oh please "piss off, Uta_1, you "Bought and Paid For" anti-democracy loser.
Trust us. With your contuing spam posts, youre making we ever-savvy WCF readers "Yawn."
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