California Democrats and Texas Republicans Keep Copying Each Other

From California, where independent redistricting commissioner J. Ray Kennedy, a Democrat, describes how state leaders effectively sidelined the nonpartisan commission, to Texas, where the Republican Party is suing to close one of the nation’s oldest open primary systems, the hosts trace a pattern of

In the latest episode of The Independent Voter Podcast, Chad Peace and Cara McCormick examine IVN’s coverage this week and how the mechanics of American democracy continue to shift beneath voters’ feet. From California, where independent redistricting commissioner J. Ray Kennedy, a Democrat, describes how state leaders effectively sidelined the nonpartisan commission, to Texas, where the Republican Party is suing to close one of the nation’s oldest open primary systems, the hosts trace a pattern of partisan agenda-setting that transcends geography and time.

Drawing a historical line from Smith v. Allwright, the 1944 Supreme Court case that struck down whites-only primaries, they discuss what it will take to keep primaries open to 18.6 million voters in Texas in light of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recent actions. Peace and McCormick also examine Fox News’s misleading coverage of cannabis policy amidst reports that President Donald Trump may move to reschedule cannabis, and the viral debate on Independent Voters’ Facebook page over whether the President deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.

At its core, the episode considers how those in power seek to define who participates and underscores the importance of nonpartisan voters working to expand the circle of who gets a voice in American politics.