OPEN PRIMARIES: Will strengthen political parties

Here’s a hot take: The open primary initiative will actually strengthen and heal our political parties, not destroy them (regardless of what Scott Herndon and Dorothy Moon may say). Think about it for a minute. We’ve seen a shift in the past couple of decades toward more crystalized, more extreme positions in our party system.

It’s been driven by many factors: media incentivized to cover controversy, a surge of unaccountable money enabled by Citizens United, and politicians that increasingly need to distinguish themselves in increasingly ideological primaries. The thing is, parties really can be an important way for voters to come together and express their collective views and aspirations. Parties can be a force for good, even if they’re not currently living up to their potential.

A top four primary system won’t diminish parties and their importance in our lives, it’ll remove barriers and restrictions that corrupt, extremist factions within our parties have put up to try and empower themselves. It’ll blunt the impact of dark money and special interests that push primary races to the extremes. It’ll make it easier for smart, thoughtful, good-faith voters to participate, and amplify voices of reason in our parties. What entrenched powers want us to believe is that voters are their parties, but they’re not — parties are their voters. If we empower voters, we’ll wind up with better parties. If Scott Herndon really cares about political parties as voices of the people, he should sign a petition.

HALDAN GATES

Sandpoint