Top Tweets for #PrimaryProblem

Indiana makes clear why unpopular things — like mid-decade redistricting — continue to happen in our politics: <10% of voters control all the power through low-turnout, party primaries. Demagogues and special interests know this and have spent millions to weaponize it. This is the #PrimaryProblem in action. The Republican state senators who refused to go along with the plot to rig this year’s mid-terms will go down in history as honorable public servants. Just like those who refused to overturn the 2020 election. But we should not rely on such courage (in short supply!) to be the saving grace for keeping our republic. We need an electoral system that aligns representation & results with reelection. We need to abolish party primaries and give a true majority of voters their voice. To quote Milton Friedman: “People have a great misconception; they think the way you solve things is by electing the right people….The way you solve things is by making it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right things.”

I’ve covered authoritarian regimes all around the world. We know how we got here: 1. A Supreme Court that has given the Executive almost unchecked power 2. A broken political party system where the party in power refuses to act as a check on the executive and a leaderless (for now) opposition 3. A federal government that has been gutted of independent levers of power 4. A President who seemingly believes he has total authority to use crushing federal power and is emboldened and enabled by his cabinet. 5. An activated and angry civilian population that has no trust in institutions. 6. The use of federal forces in defiance of the will of states 7. A business and elite class that is largely willing to bear the cost of the chaos. 8. A weakened independent Press and an expanding propaganda network that profits from partisan alliances on the left and right.