Posted on 10/18/2004 4:15:52 PM PDT by John Jorsett
Schwarzenegger just endorsed Prop. 62, the open primary initiative. But he also took a much more important step for the long run. He offered a full-throated endorsement for reforming the way legislators draw district lines, and taking that power out of the hands of elected officials. He says he will be challenging the Legislature to put a reform initiative on the ballot. He doesn't say when, but I hope he means next year, in a special election. It's silly to let legislators pick their voters, when it should be the other way around. If Schwarzenegger can change that, he will truly deserve the reformist governor credentials he seeks.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Well, Prop 62 is a disaster in waiting, but chaning California's shameful redistricting is much needed.
This is probably the single most important thing California could do to blast loose the collection of nitwits, fellow travelers, highbinders, and moonbats that is the California legislature. Imagine having to actually worry whether the 78% of voters who think your ideas stink might vote you out.
Arnold is not helping Bush,that's WRONG!
While I am all for taking control of redistricting away from legislatures, including Congressional redistricting, we should expect a surprising amount of resistance to this from GOP incumbents, including those in Congress.
Now taking bets on when the Kool-Aid drinkers descend on this thread and shriek that our getting sold down the river is a "good thing."
Ping
I really can't imagine why passing proposition 62 would be a good thing. Redistricting reform would be a good thing, but open primaries?
That was after his deep-throated endorsement of Prop 62 which further destroys the Republican Party's influence over it's own affairs!!!
Can ANYONE honestly say that the direction of CA is improving one year after the historic Recall??? Seriously!!!
This is what we get for electing a Kennedy with an 'R' by his name.
Moonbats? LOL
Not unless they're void of active brain cells.
LOS ANGELES - Breaking with the Legislature and his own Republican Party, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday endorsed a ballot proposal to dump political party primaries, a change he said would send more moderates to Sacramento.
"People deserve to have an open primary so that they can vote for whomever they like, no matter what party a candidate represents," the governor said in a statement.
"Both political parties have asked me not to support Proposition 62. ... I didn't come to Sacramento to make the political parties happy," Schwarzenegger said. "An open primary is an important reform that will lead to more mainstream legislators from each party coming to the Capitol."
The initiative, Proposition 62, would toss out the state's primary election system in most state and federal races in favor of a so-called "top-two" primary - a kind of candidate soup in which all contenders for an office would appear on a single primary ballot.
The two top finishers, regardless of party affiliation, would advance to a general-election runoff. It would not alter presidential elections.
In endorsing the measure, Schwarzenegger lined up against the state Republican and Democratic parties, which are seeking to defeat it. It also marked a snub to the Legislature, whose members placed a rival proposal on the ballot, Proposition 60, which would retain the status quo.
Critics say the plan would steamroll minor parties off the November ballot while denying party members the right to select their nominees.
"We have more areas of agreement than disagreement (with Schwarzenegger), but in this instance we strongly believe Proposition 62 takes us down the wrong path - a path of less choice for voters," said Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman for the California Republican Party.
Schwarzenegger's endorsement comes just two weeks before the election, although long after he announced his support for several other measures on the ballot. The governor was lobbied intensely by legislative leaders to stay on the sidelines, but he decided to "buck the status quo rather than be absorbed by it," said spokesman Rob Stutzman.
Supporters are scheduled to launch a TV ad campaign this weekend, which could highlight endorsements by Schwarzenegger and Arizona Sen. John McCain. Schwarzenegger is not expected to make a personal statement in the ads.
The politically moderate governor and other supporters argue that by opening primary elections to all voters, not just enrolled party members, successful candidates likely would reflect moderate views rather than the political poles that tend to dominate, and often deadlock, Sacramento.
And if Schwarzenegger seeks re-election in 2006, when the new scheme would first take effect, he would not have to run in a Republican primary, freeing him from having to cater to the party's right wing. Schwarzenegger did not have to run in a primary to enter last year's recall election.
Proposition 62 is only the latest attempt to revise direct party primaries in the state, which were put in place nearly a century ago as part of progressive-era reforms.
In 1996, Californians approved a so-called "blanket" primary that allowed voters, regardless of party, to vote for any candidate in a primary. The candidate with the most votes for each party moved on to the November election. That system was used in 1998 and 2000, but tossed out after a court challenge.
A coalition supporting Proposition 60, the Committee to Preserve Voter Choice, which is backed by several political parties, said "Schwarzenegger repeats a common misconception that Proposition 62 is an open primary. In fact, Proposition 62 proposes a new and untested system that is neither an open or blanket primary, and would result in the fewest ballot choices of any state."
He has a simple, proven formula which he applies over and over again.
Schwarzenegger provides actual support for a liberal political formula but at the same time provides lip service to some form of conservative common sense to cover his tracks. In this case he supports open primaries and pays lip service to eliminating gerrymandering.
And thus quite possible, yes even quite PROBABLE that NO REPUBLICAN would appear on the general election ballot in CA for decades!!! Country Club Republicans will have to become just like Demonicrats, only not quite so much!!! Phhhht!!!
Nice speech at the REPUBLICAN national convention "R"nold, about what a REPUBLICAN "IS," you jerk! I think your best developed muscle is between your danged ears!!!
How many Moderates can anyone find in history that accomplished anything substantive? Earl Warren?
This whole political scene has given him nothing but a swelled head, like in hydrocephalis!!!
Schwarzenegger, with his endorsement of Prop 62 might as well be Meathead with muscles!!!
He's turned into a girlyman who doesn't want to run for re-election against one of those Conservative REPUBLICANS he described in his speech to the REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION!!!
Did EVERYBODY see THIS???
I understand that the acceleration rate of California's decline has ceased increasing and might stabilize. In other words, California's decline isn't accelerating as much more quickly with each passing day as it might have been under Governor Davis. That's certainly an accomplishment. Sorta.
I hope EVERYBODY saw THIS, too!!!
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