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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, June 28, 2019

Will Pa Finally Allow Open Primaries?

Will Pennsylvania join 16 other states in finally allowing open primaries? The Senate voted Yes to this proposal by a 42-8 vote. Senator Lisa Boscola is quoted as having argued, “Frankly, our democracy doesn’t work if our citizens can’t participate.”

If this measure is adopted, it should stop extremist candidates from gaining traction in both parties. It will be a win for the center.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

This measure is another example of the utter lunacy that is sucking America down the cultural and political toilet. Go find your own primary to vote in; I don't want you in mine if you're not registered.

Anonymous said...

Boscola is being a phony on this one. When she first started she would have fought against this idea. She is now unbeatable and near the end of her time in the senate. She knows she will win regardless so she proposes this crap. If you want to vote in a primary take the time to register in a party and vote.

Your praise is misplaced on this one Bernie. It is self-serv8ng crap.

Anonymous said...

No.
The corrupt two party strangle hold on democracy in the Commonwealth will never allow it.

Anonymous said...

This is a bad idea that will invite a tyranny of the majority. It sounds so good. It's not.

Anonymous said...

this is great news Please allow this to happen

Anonymous said...

Red Rover Nation:
I'm full blooded Irish. Stop acting like a feckin' gobshite

Anonymous said...

At 1:33
I hear you loud and clear.
I am an Independent.
You are not interested in my vote.
Rest assured that you will not get it.

Anonymous said...

This isn't an "open" primary. Republicans still have to vote on the Republican ticket and Democrats still have to vote for the Democrat ticket. The only thing this measure does is now allow Unaffiliated voters to pick which party's ticket they'd like to vote for on primary day.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Close enough.

Anonymous said...

Eliminate all parties and go with ranked choice. Top 2 candidates go at it in the general election. Fuck all the hard right and far left dip shits, let them jerk off to their online conspiracy forum news sites and let the adults do real work - they've had their turn and failed miserably.

This whole country has turned into a bunch of cry baby bitches who wet themselves over every perceived slight and take offense to anyone who isn't fully on board with his/her opinion.

Jeff Fox said...

Allowing "unaffiliated" voters to choose between D's and R's in the primary would not be productive. I left a major party so I was not bound by any party guidelines. This bill would seem to put me back where I started. I do not believe that the 2-party system serves us well presently. I also agree with Senator Boscola’s sentiment and legislation to eliminate straight party voting. If a voter would like to vote a straight party ticket, the option still remains. The voter just needs to press more buttons. Although R's tend to be more conservative than D's, conservative is not the same thing as republican. Liberal is not the same thing as democrat either. The 2-party system does not deal with varying opinions very well. The party "tents" are bigger than one may think, but only because there are few places to go, politically. Gay conservatives can be libertarian, or they may choose to engage the dialog within the boundaries of the party of their choosing, for example. Choosing between D's and R's in the primaries may be a tiny step in the right direction, but "Close enough", No.

Anonymous said...

@Jeff Fox - it's certainly not ideal, but at the minimum it does give independents a small say in the matter, particularly if they do find a major party candidate that aligns with their specific views on an issue(s) that are important to them. Smart candidates could then pick and choose moderate positions on abortion or the environment or some other non orthodox party platform and if they attract enough support from independents, would likely be more electable in a general election.

Anonymous said...

Fuck the Democrats AND the Republicans.

Anonymous said...

Is she sober?

Anonymous said...

Hear that? The toilets runnng!

Anonymous said...

@anonymous 1:33am - Kindly PAY FOR YOUR OWN private function then. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

“Democracy” has been privatized.
Cool.

Anonymous said...

Eliminate the Democratic and Republican parties because this has caused Congress and the Senate to vote party only even if they disagreed with an issue and we have gotten nothing done for many years. Put all names in a hat including President Trump for the primaries and the top 5 go on to see who gets elected President. Sounds too simple but it would work at all levels.