Posted on 03/09/2012 8:10:28 AM PST by SmithL
California's most noteworthy congressional race this year is the high-dollar shootout between Democratic Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles.
Berman and Sherman were thrown together in the 30th Congressional District when the independent redistricting commission drew new maps for the state's 53 congressional districts.
The two rivals have spent a collective 45 years in Congress and are spending millions of dollars in their duel for political survival, with policy on Israel and Iran potent issues in the heavily Jewish district.
It could even be a year-long struggle. Democrats have a 2-to-1 voter registration edge. The top two finishers in the June 5 primary, regardless of party, will face each other in the November general election, as decreed by the state's new system of choosing candidates that is getting its first field test this year.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
It's an experiment in bringing sanity, effectiveness and responsibility to representation that will likely fail just as 20+ years of term limits has.
That top two crap is unconstitutional.
I bet at least one competitive district will see 2 rats advance to November.
Republicans need to pre-select one candidate per district and shun anyone else who dares to run.
It's been the practice in Louisiana for several years. There is no Contitutional rule governing primaries.
Only for state offices now, they finally wised up and normalized congressional elections. It was all a plot to hurt the burgeoning Republican party in Louisiana when they instituted that crap in the 70’s.
We the right to run a candidate in the general election, period, end of story. The failure of the courts to overturn it is just that, a failure.
California had something like this in the early 1990’s. But it may not be all bad. There are two well-known Republicans running in District 26, conservative state Senator Tony Strickland and RINO Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks. Both are better-known than any of the Democrats running. So it’s possible that the Democrats won’t have a nominee in a district that could be a prime pick-up opportunity.
I’m still annoyed at the Republican who authored this bill, but he may be elected to Congress this year (you’ll have little trouble guessing who he is).
Yeah that stupid heel Maldonado. He and Ahnold were a match made in heaven.
Or, in a Dem district with lots of Dem candidates, run exactly two candidates to see if both can advance to the run-off.
As you know, I strongly believe that these “jungle primaries” are just as much of a violation of the First Amendment rights of the citizens that assembled to form political parties as were the “blanket primaries” that preceded them and were declared unconstitutional by SCOTUS. But I don’t expect this scheme to be struck down for now, so we need to adapt to it and try to keep the Dems from stealing our seats while stealing a Dem seat or two if we can; if we win Dem seats often enough, the Democrats will voluntarily change the law and bring back partisan primaries (with a primary run-off if no one gets a majority, if we really hit the jackpot).
Unless I’m mistaken, the LA GOP legislature recently brought back the jungle primary for federal elections.
As for okie01’s assertion that “there is no constitutional rule for primaries,” that is far from the truth. Federal courts struck down the all-white primary decades ago; SCOTUS struck down the original LA jungle primary for federal elections—in which everyone ran on the same ballot in September or so and if a candidate got 50%+1 he was declared elected, and otherwise the top two went on to the general election—in the 1990s; and SCOTUS struck down the “blanket primary” that WA had been using for over half a century (and that CA had adopted more recently) during the 2000s. The First Amendment declares that no state shall abridge the Freedom of Speech, and a state law that creates a primary process that violates First Amendment rights is unconstitutional and should be struck down.
I respectfully withdraw my assertion.
I commend you for reconsidering after receiving evidence to the contrary. It appears to be an increasingly rare trait among our fellow FReepers, many of whom double down in spite of the facts. FReegards.
You've noticed that, too, huh?
Yup. It’s as if they believed that typing “I stand corrected” would infect them with flesh-eating bacteria or something.
Not sure if anyone is legislating it, but I totally agree. “Top-Two” is nonsense. Anyone who is qualified should be allowed to appear on the ballot.
Crap, you're right. I forgot that, Jindal signed the bill. I guess it goes into effect for 2012.
Ironically it was the rats who got rid of it cause they figured it didn't help them anymore. I don't know why they brought it back. I really don't care for it at all.
If 2 Republicans make it in Cali or LA, then won't whichever one the rats like better be assured of victory in November (in CA) or December (in LA)? That's not good news for Jeff Landry.
If Landry loses (or even if he wins), I think he should take on Landrieu in 2014.
His similar name would further seal her fate.
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