Is Schwarzenegger A Fool or a Traitor to Tea Parties and Limited Government/Fiscally Conservative Causes?
This coming Tuesday June 8th, California voters will be voting on Proposition 14, aka “Top Two.” It is a disaster for anyone interested in free speech, choice and dissent. As often happens in politics, Prop 14 is the exact opposite of what it appears to be. The proponents of Prop 14 claim it will eliminate the current party primary system in favor of an “open primary.” So instead of Republicans, Democrats and independents (third parties) each freely choosing their own candidates in a primary, then meeting on the November ballot to determine who will be elected to represent the people, with “Top Two” every candidate runs in a non-partisan free-for-all (aka “open primary”) and only the top two vote-getters appear on the November ballot.
Prop 14 supporters claim this new “Top Two” system would take away power from the 2 big parties because of the non-partisan “open primary” nature of the system. In reality Prop 14 eliminates choice on the ballot in November. Independent candidates and third parties (with less money to spend to reach voters) will literally cease to exist. Independent candidates (Libertarian, Conservative, Tea Party, Green, etc) could not survive the open primary system, thereby guaranteeing only candidates from the 2 major parties on the ballot each November. Do you want your free speech and choice violated or eliminated? If so, you’ll love Prop 14. But is this the American way?
National polls prove that more voters now call themselves “Independent” than at any time in modern political history. More voters call themselves “Independent” than either Republican or Democrat. More voters respect “the Tea Party” than either the Republican or Democrat parties. More voters desire a third party Presidential choice than at any time in modern history. Do all these poll results indicate that now is the time to eliminate choice? To eliminate dissent? You would think that now would be the time to expand choice and dissent. But that’s not what the backers of Prop 14 think. According to the backers of Prop 14, what you want is meaningless.
But the problem with Prop 14 actually goes much deeper. If you want to see smaller government, lower spending, and lower taxes, you’re plum out of luck with Prop 14. This deal was cut in the smoky backrooms of Sacramento to insure that the 2 major parties can operate in the future without dissent, opposition, or pesky “citizen politician” gadflies pointing out their corruption, waste, and fraud. Who is behind it? Prop 14 guarantees that the same corruption and cozy relationship between big unions, big corporations and big government will go on forever- but this time without even the hint of dissent, or the remote chance of an upset. Even “remote” isn’t good enough for these groups…they want zero chance that any independent candidate can ever upset their stranglehold on government and unchecked power over the people.
Want proof? Look no further than the 2 states that have already used Prop 14 political systems- Louisiana and Washington. Third parties have been silenced- they no longer have a reason to exist. Corruption runs wild- Louisiana has been the worst governed state for 35 years and counting. Incumbents literally NEVER lose in these states. If you want to guarantee career politicians can last a lifetime in office screwing the voters and taxpayers, then Prop 14 is for you.
But my final plea is to fiscal conservatives and Tea Party activists in California. You, my friends, are being targeted for extinction by big government proponents. Your Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has sold you down the river. He is either a fool or a traitor. Common sense tells anyone that Republicans will be badly damaged by Prop 14 in a deep blue liberal state like California. The non-biased and scholarly Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles now predicts that Democrats will most certainly gain the most from Prop 14. They predict that up to one third of Congressional and legislative districts in California will be reduced to 2 Democrats in the November elections by “Top Two.” The dissent being silenced forever will be Conservative and Tea Party dissent in a liberal big government state like California. If you are a California Republican, your own Governor Schwarzenegger has signed your death warrant. It isn’t just independents, but rather Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Parties who are the victims of Prop 14. Or did you think big unions, big corporations and big government proponents are friends of fiscal conservatives? This deal stinks to high heaven. Your only choice is to strongly and LOUDLY vote “NO on Prop 14.”
