From today’s FlashReport…
by Jon Fleischman
At this weekend’s California Republican Party Convention, there will be some lively debate over the issue of how the party reacts to the passage of Proposition 14, the so-called “open primary” measure promoted by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abel Maldonado, the express purpose of which was to moderate the party. Let’s be very, very clear on this point, because it is pivotal to the discussion, and should be the cornerstone issue by which CRP delegates think about how to proceed.
Schwarzenegger, Maldonado, and the “big business” community headed by the California Chamber of Commerce, as proponents of Prop 14, could not have been more clear. First and foremost, they actually put in the Official Voters Guide (signed by the CalChamber President) the following description in the arguments FOR Prop 14: “Supporters of Proposition 14 believe: The Top Two primary system will put more moderate politicians in office.”
Here are some additional quotes from former Governor Schwarzenegger and former Lt. Governor Maldonado making their intentions clear…
* Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger applauded the supreme court’s decision. He says Proposition 14 will bring in more moderate lawmakers who will “put aside partisanship.” — Contra Costa Times, 12-16-10:
* Prop 14 is the latest attempt to create a more hospitable environment for moderates in the two parties to come together in the center. “The system we have today makes candidates go to the extreme right on the Republican side and the extreme left on the Democratic side, and when they come together [in Sacramento], they can’t govern,” [Abel] Maldonado said. “Governing is hard, but we must govern.” — Washington Post, 6-6-10:
* Proponents of Proposition 14, such as Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, argue that the change would benefit moderates who often stumble in primaries where party activists have an oversized say in the outcome. — MSNBC, 5-30-10
From the perspective of Republicans — especially in “red” parts of the state, the main way that Proposition 14 achieves the objectives of Schwarzenegger and Maldonado, is by cross-over voting. In the June election (which is now very much a “general” election, with all voters, regardless of party registration, being able to vote for any candidate), liberal Democrat voters will be able to cast their votes for their “favorite” (liberal) Republican candidate, and in doing so very much play a role in determining which registered Republican is the “top vote getter” in a district.
Read it all at the FlashReport