Alabama's Closed Primary: Moore-Strange Just More of the Same

image
Author: 420 Times
Published: 22 Sep, 2017
Updated: 17 Oct, 2022
1 min read

Alabama's closed, partisan Republican primary pits two candidates, Roy Moore and Luther Strange, that prove the value of open, nonpartisan primaries.

Put simply, the "I'm a bigger right-winger than you are" themed campaign is exactly what works in closed, partisan primaries. This, of course, is also true of the "I'm a bigger left-winger than you are" campaign that flourishes in closed Democratic primaries.

The overwhelming majority of US lawmakers were selected through these closed, partisan primaries. The couple of states with nonpartisan, open primaries are a very recent innovation. As a result, most of the incumbents, even in these states, are products of the old system.

So, it should come as no surprise that US lawmakers can't get anything done. Members of Congress understand getting re-elected if they understand nothing else.

Judge Moore vs. Luther Strange simply reinforces the "fear of compromise" embedded in the DNA of every member of Congress, their staffs, and their political advisors and financiers.

The election process rewards intransigence and gridlock. Until we change that, nothing will change in Washington.

Latest articles

Tyson points at Trump with a marijuana leaf behind him.
Mike Tyson Calls Out Donald Trump to Make Good on Cannabis Rescheduling Promise
Mike Tyson, the former heavyweight boxing champion known as “Iron Mike,” is calling on President Donald Trump to make good on a campaign promise to reclassify cannabis under federal law....
11 Jul, 2025
-
2 min read
Football in grass.
Texas, Football, Bobcats, Pac-12, and a Corrections Officer Who Performed a Miracle
Houston Chronicle and Hearst Newspapers Spotlight Kelly Damphousse, a Former Correctional Officer Who Transformed a University....
10 Jul, 2025
-
4 min read
Lorena Gonzalez with teamsters
Lorena Gonzalez, California’s Top Labor Leader, Blasts ‘Anti-Labor Left’ Over Abundance Movement
Lorena Gonzalez, one of California’s most influential labor leaders, entered the fray this week in a growing Democratic debate over the so-called “abundance” movement. ...
09 Jul, 2025
-
2 min read