We're All Republicans Here - Like It Or Not

[The opinions stated here are the author's own and do not necessarily represent and group, company, or municipality with which he is associated]

“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” - Winston Churchill

While our founders may not have invented the concept of secular democracy, it can probably be fairly said that the U.S. was first to give that concept of governance it’s first real road test. What started as a “Grand Experiment”, has now become the norm in the civilized world and makes anything else seem [at best] somewhat backwards. The idea that “We The People” are integral to every decision and can influence the tone and priorities of political discourse through our elected representatives was revolutionary.

Well, it’s time to look at the very different reality. I live in Illinois’ 14th congressional district, the 33rd Senate District and the 65th legislative district. Through the process of gerrymandering, these districts are all solidly  “red”. This means that the boundaries are such that it is a nearly impossible for a non-Republican candidate to have a chance to compete. [I used my districts as examples, but you may freely interchange red/blue and Republican/Democrat. The point remains the same.]

In electoral lingo, the party members that always vote their party ticket are considered “Hard”. That is to say a “Hard R” will often select every Republican candidate on the ballot and a “Hard D” will to the same for Democratic candidates. Statistically; it is the “hard” citizens that come out to dominate primary elections. The net result is that is the extreme partisans that select the party candidate and, because of gerrymandering, select who represents us…and leaving moderates and the “other” parties disenfranchised. This is an environment that is overtly hostile to thoughtful candidates that can see shades of grey and work with others. Candidates...if they wish to compete...must adhere to the party’s most rigid ideologies. It is a process that excludes moderates and centrists.

I have written before about my disdain for party politics, but I recognize the inevitability of their formation. George Washington had a similar disdain and, at his farewell speech, said:

“[Political parties] serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests.” —George Washington, Farewell Address, Sept. 17, 1796

What we, the electorate, need to do is wrestle control from the two parties such that candidates are motivated to appeal to you and I as opposed to their own extreme, often-monied partisan wings. To that end; I offer the following in an effort to re-empower voters

1) Support efforts to remove the designing of legislative district maps from partisan actors. There is an effort going on right now to get this on the ballot for this November. Check out http://independentmaps.org/ and sign the petition.

2) Participate in the party primary election on March 18th (or early voting beginning March 3rd). In Illinois, you do not have to be some sort of official “registered Republican” or “registered Democrat”. If there is no Democratic or Republican candidate for your District, take a primary ballot for whichever primary has a contest. You may be dyed in the wool blue or red, but you can ask for a Republican or Democratic ballot and have a say in who the Republican or Democratic party nominates. Do it! Moderate Republicans/Democrats: Please come out and don’t let partisan extremists choose for you. Have your say in local party politics. If you don’t then you are abandoning that greatest democratic right...to influence who will represent you.