WTF, California?

Voters approve Prop. 14, open primary measure

Wyatt Buchanan,Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writers
Wednesday, June 9, 2010


Californians approved a measure Tuesday that will dramatically change how voters choose candidates in elections - and could mean that two Republicans or two Democrats would end up as voters' only choices in a general election.

Proposition 14, known as the open primary measure, will give every voter the same ballot in primary elections for most state and federal races, except the presidential contest. The two candidates with the most votes would advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Prop. 14 had the strong backing of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, who said it could help break the gridlock at the state Capitol by giving voters more control over who appears on the ballot.

"This sends a clear message that Californians are tired of partisan gridlock and dysfunction and want a system where representatives put what's best for California ahead of extreme partisan doctrine," the governor said in a statement. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/09/MN0V1DNDMQ.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0qMVMkcqJ

The pluses are candidates other than D or R might have a better chance.

14 will end up like term limits w/ people wondering how this happened. The ONLY people that will be able to run for office now will be the meg whitman's. Candidates will now have to spend a boatload of money just to survive the primary.

Here in Orange County we will get to choose between two rethugs in the general just as local Democrats were emerging from of the abyss. In northern California it will be just the opposite. Corporate money will now decide who will grace your general election ballot because the 'crush for cash' has just been moved.

It was no accident this prop was heavily supported by the chamber of commerce. Corporate control of California is now nearly complete.

Here's what it will do. It opens the way for a single party to knock the other party's guy off the ballot. Take yesterday's election. Poizner and Megabucks spent over $100 million bashing each other. But suppose they joined forces and used the $100 million to knock Jerry Brown off the ballot. That would have left tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee fascists as the only two candidates on the final ballot.

Third parties are permanently off the November ballot unless they can get of the top two spots in the primary. Ain't going to happen.

According to the law, now candidates don't have to declare their party affiliation in the primary -- opening the way for GOPers to run as stealth candidates.

As long as big money is involved, there will never EVER be representation by other parties on the general election ballot.

Did you see how many votes the candidates for Green, Peace and Freedom, Independent, and Libertarian got?

We are talking between 300k and 900k for the big parties respective to the office versus 9k to maybe 50k for the smaller parties.

You think that when the top 2 Democratic or Republican spenders get in there, that there will be any small party representation?

I think it is time to leave this place. I was born here, have lived here 60 years and always thought I'd die here. I'm not so sure any more:cry:

I was living out there for a time when he was Governor, what as asshole!

We got nothing in November except Boxer and some of the state offices - Bowen, Chiang, Lockyear (who should still be attorney general-damn those term limits!).

With the ballot initiative idiocy and the restraints put on the legislature, the state has become ungovernable. California is about a few steps behind Somalia and will catch up pretty soon.

The two party system has become established by various legal preferences enacted by legislators.

This begins to disestablish it.

this is a repeat of a bad movie, 2000 to be exact.

On the plus side the PG%E protection acts and the Auto insurance industry act went down

Neither party wanted this.

The vile scumbags don't even have to identify themselves as "Republicans" in the voters guide anymore. That fucking douchebag Dino Rossi tried to run on a "hope and change" platform in 2008, cloning his talking points (but not his actual positions) from a certain national campaign that was a big hit at the time.

Nobody bought it, but that's only because his previous attempt to steal the 2004 election wasn't easily forgotten, so his pretense of not being a Republican was a waste of time.

I checked the polls early last night (oviously to early) and they looked to be passing.

Those were horrible. So is prop 14, but honestly, the pge was the worst.

Neither party is particularly responsive to the voters, and most people are sick of it. The economic downturn has just brought it to the surface.

This measure was toutes as a way to "break the power" of both political parties. I voted against it, but given the states track record over the past 15 years, I have to say that the thought was tempting for a while.

over the idea of throwing everyone out and having a bunch of political novices up against well-heeled, well-financed, and very experienced lobbyists. Fish in a barrel.

which we effectively have already in many cases....