California Prop 14 Passed - 'Top Two' Primaries Soon A Reality - GoFuckYourself.com

Amputate Your Head · 06-09-2010, 12:00 PM

Will California?s ?Top Two? Primary Work? - Jun 2010

California voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 14, which replaces traditional partisan primaries in state and Congressional races. Starting in 2011, candidates for an office would be on a single ballot, regardless of political affiliation, and the top two vote-getters (even if from the same party) would advance to the general election. In recent years, a similar ?top two? primary system was adopted in Washington State.

If this measure survives legal challenges, whom will it benefit? If the idea spreads to more states, what effect will this system have nationally? What races would it affect most?

LINK

I literally have no opinion on this yet. What do you guys think? Will it work? And is it a good thing?

sperbonzo · 06-09-2010, 12:04 PM

This is not a good idea.... it means that republican voters can vote on the democrat that they think is LEAST likely to win, in order to weaken their chances in the general election... It also makes it so that the candidate who actually represents the locals in that party will not nessecarily be the one to win.

...and this goes both ways, obviously...

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It's going to make elections VERY messy and a lot less representative IMHO

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Babaganoosh · 06-09-2010, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperbonzo

This is not a good idea.... it means that republican voters can vote on the democrat that they think is LEAST likely to win, in order to weaken their chances in the general election... It also makes it so that the candidate who actually represents the locals in that party will not nessecarily be the one to win.

...and this goes both ways, obviously...

.

It's going to make elections VERY messy and a lot less representative IMHO

.

That's exactly the reason I am a registered republican.

sperbonzo · 06-09-2010, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babaganoosh

That's exactly the reason I am a registered republican.

See? YOU are the guy I'm talking about....

With this California system, EVERYONE would be messing with the opposing party's choice of candidate.

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Vendzilla · 06-09-2010, 12:14 PM

Might be a great way to get rid of a few lame incumbants in California

Amputate Your Head · 06-09-2010, 12:14 PM

Hmmm... yeah, it seems like there would be a lot of room for sneaky stuff.

Amputate Your Head · 06-09-2010, 12:21 PM

Can you imagine the presidential general election doing this? It would turn the country upside down.

EZRhino · 06-09-2010, 02:11 PM

Incumbents in california historicaly always win becuase the disctricts are rigged that way. I hate californias Dem leadership. Need new people in the legislature

DateDoc · 06-09-2010, 02:28 PM

Why limit it to the two top candidates. Make it 3 or 4.

Sly · 06-09-2010, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperbonzo

This is not a good idea.... it means that republican voters can vote on the democrat that they think is LEAST likely to win, in order to weaken their chances in the general election... It also makes it so that the candidate who actually represents the locals in that party will not nessecarily be the one to win.

...and this goes both ways, obviously...

.

It's going to make elections VERY messy and a lot less representative IMHO

.

People always bring up the argument of "voting for the other guy", but how often does it actually happen? I mean really?

Penthouse Tony · 06-09-2010, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperbonzo

This is not a good idea.... it means that republican voters can vote on the democrat that they think is LEAST likely to win, in order to weaken their chances in the general election... It also makes it so that the candidate who actually represents the locals in that party will not nessecarily be the one to win.

...and this goes both ways, obviously...

.

It's going to make elections VERY messy and a lot less representative IMHO

.

If it's the top two that move on why would you vote for another candidate than your own?

Conceivably you could have two Democrats winning and running against each other with no Republican representation in the general election. A Republican that tries to sabotage the Democrats by voting for an unelectable Democrat will only hurt his candidate's chances of moving on.

Or am I missing something?

Amputate Your Head · 06-09-2010, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sagi_AFF

If it's the top two that move on why would you vote for another candidate than your own?

Conceivably you could have two Democrats winning and running against each other with no Republican representation in the general election. A Republican that tries to sabotage the Democrats by voting for an unelectable Democrat will only hurt his candidate's chances of moving on.

Or am I missing something?

I was thinking that too... and also, if it did end up where both candidates were from the same party, what incentive do the people not represented still have to vote?

DateDoc · 06-09-2010, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head

I was thinking that too... and also, if it did end up where both candidates were from the same party, what incentive do the people not represented still have to vote?

It would lead to the opposition party voting for the worst candidate so they would lose in the next election. You have dem1 and dem2. Dem1 is voted for by dems. Dem2 gets a few dem votes + repub votes. Dem2 wins and no one is happy other than repub's who now have someone to bitch about.

Fletch XXX · 06-09-2010, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head

Can you imagine the presidential general election doing this? It would turn the country upside down.

but the peoples vote doesnt really count in pres elections, our vote is only to complete the facade that we have a say in who our president is.

Amputate Your Head · 06-09-2010, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fletch XXX

but the peoples vote doesnt really count in pres elections, our vote is only to complete the facade that we have a say in who our president is.

I think there would always be a 'sore-loser' public sentiment though... except instead of after the election, the crying would begin before the election. It still seems weird to me that Cali passed this.

EDIT: I wonder how it's working out so far in Washington state. I don't follow their politics.

Penthouse Tony · 06-09-2010, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DateDoc

It would lead to the opposition party voting for the worst candidate so they would lose in the next election. You have dem1 and dem2. Dem1 is voted for by dems. Dem2 gets a few dem votes + repub votes. Dem2 wins and no one is happy other than repub's who now have someone to bitch about.

I think there could be a lot of scenarios depending on how many candidates there are. Ignore parties for a minute. If there are 6 left leaning candidates and only 2 right leaning then it's possible that the 2 right leaning get most of the votes since the 6 on the left split theirs up.

Another scenario is there are many center candidates (lets say 8), one extreme right and one extreme left. Under normally circumstances the two extreme candidates might not be electable but if the 8 center candidates fight for the same votes the two extremes could be the ones moving on.

In this system the party that brings the fewest candidates to the primaries benefits.

smutnut · 06-09-2010, 03:24 PM

Won't if force people who want things a certain way to actually have no excuse but to get involved now and vote?

06-09-2010, 12:00 PM	#1
Amputate Your Head There can be only one Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Somewhere else Posts: 39,075	California Prop 14 Passed - 'Top Two' Primaries Soon A Reality Will California?s ?Top Two? Primary Work? - Jun 2010 California voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 14, which replaces traditional partisan primaries in state and Congressional races. Starting in 2011, candidates for an office would be on a single ballot, regardless of political affiliation, and the top two vote-getters (even if from the same party) would advance to the general election. In recent years, a similar ?top two? primary system was adopted in Washington State. If this measure survives legal challenges, whom will it benefit? If the idea spreads to more states, what effect will this system have nationally? What races would it affect most? LINK I literally have no opinion on this yet. What do you guys think? Will it work? And is it a good thing? __________________ SIG TOO BIG

06-09-2010, 12:04 PM	#2
sperbonzo I'd rather be on my boat. Industry Role: Join Date: May 2003 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 9,743	This is not a good idea.... it means that republican voters can vote on the democrat that they think is LEAST likely to win, in order to weaken their chances in the general election... It also makes it so that the candidate who actually represents the locals in that party will not nessecarily be the one to win. ...and this goes both ways, obviously... . It's going to make elections VERY messy and a lot less representative IMHO . __________________ Michael Sperber / Acella Financial LLC/ Online Payment Processing [email protected] / http://Acellafinancial.com/ ICQ 177961090 / Tel +1 909 NET BILL / Skype msperber

06-09-2010, 12:14 PM	#5
Vendzilla Biker Gnome Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: cell#324 Posts: 23,200	Might be a great way to get rid of a few lame incumbants in California __________________ Webair died? Carbon is not the problem, it makes up 0.041% of our atmosphere , 95% of that is from Volcanos and decomposing plants and stuff. So people in the US are responsible for 13% of the carbon in the atmosphere which 95% is not from Humans, like cars and trucks and stuff and they want to spend trillions to fix it while Solar Panel plants are powered by coal plants think about that

06-09-2010, 12:14 PM	#6
Amputate Your Head There can be only one Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Somewhere else Posts: 39,075	Hmmm... yeah, it seems like there would be a lot of room for sneaky stuff. __________________ SIG TOO BIG

06-09-2010, 12:21 PM	#7
Amputate Your Head There can be only one Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Somewhere else Posts: 39,075	Can you imagine the presidential general election doing this? It would turn the country upside down. __________________ SIG TOO BIG

06-09-2010, 02:11 PM	#8
EZRhino Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: couch Posts: 6,258	Incumbents in california historicaly always win becuase the disctricts are rigged that way. I hate californias Dem leadership. Need new people in the legislature

06-09-2010, 02:28 PM	#9
DateDoc Outside looking in. Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: To Hell You Ride Posts: 14,243	Why limit it to the two top candidates. Make it 3 or 4. __________________

06-09-2010, 03:24 PM	#17
smutnut So Fucking Banned Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Babylon Posts: 5,889	Won't if force people who want things a certain way to actually have no excuse but to get involved now and vote?