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Maybe a Long Primary Is a Good Thing
North Miami Beach, Florida 2-1-2000 Aaron H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then. Opinions pro or con are welcome.
MAYBE A LONG PRIMARY IS A GOOD THING
Maybe a long primary is a good thing. If you are like me you have had
enough, already. The same speeches, positions and vaudeville act-like
behavior of the principals is very unlike the kind of variety we expect in
our television shows. These latter get more outrageous, striving for
originality in order to catch our attention. And we do give these
television travesties our devoted attention. It is instructive to note that
the desperation registered by the candidates is proportional to the
disinterest the potential voters show to lack-luster although expensively
produced media extravaganzas.
Voters are really only asked to work several minutes on only one day every
two or four years. The voter walks into a private booth (in my state) and
following clear printed instructions pushes a red lever in selected columns
down. When the curtain is opened, the vote is registered. This is simple,
easy and no strain on the voter who works just a few minutes on only one day
every two or four years.
Why is it that there is so little work for such an important act as voting?
Free peoples who exercise their franchise experience no excessive demands on
them. They do not go marching on command to the "ballot box" where they
mark a large X visibly on a piece of paper and drop it into a slot for a
particular candidate. Under the gaze of voting police nonfree people
rubber-stamp the ballot of the powers that be. Free peoples often do not
even bother to vote because they feel a single vote cannot sway the results.
Maybe a long primary period is a good thing. You may be saturated with the
candidates, some who were self-selected, but you do get a chance to see the
weaknesses that go along with experience, credentials and political
endorsements. This primary period may be noted in the history books as one
distinguished by the amounts of money spent to attract the attention of the
too distant voters. The courted, jaded and often insulted voter cannot but
be put on guard. Will we be better prepared voters? What do you think?
Carol's Evaluation: out of 10.
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