Oregon Strategist

Reinventing the Oregon Dream

A Case for the Open Primary

June 5, 2014 by Tim Crawley

demopublicanThe Democratic Party has a healthy lead as the majority party in Oregon. Their base, much like the Republican base, unwittingly votes the party line and, as a result, we in Oregon are left being represented by an unrepresentative majority.

Only one elected federal official from Oregon is a non-Democrat. Yet, Oregon is composed of 39% Democratic, 32% Republican and 29% Independent, unaffiliated and alternative party voters. This leaves many Oregonians wondering how to achieve more balanced representation. Open primaries may just be the answer.

For many in the minority, building a coalition based upon the broadest array of viewpoints that do not fundamentally conflict with one another is seen as the only way to broaden the state’s representation. It is also an enormous undertaking. This type of approach will not typically endear religious radicals or rabid environmentalists. However, the approach will treat representation as less about the party line and more about a holistic and substantive treatment of the issues.

An open primary system would enhance representation in Oregon by identifying candidates who most fully represent Oregonian points of view – not Oregon Republican or Oregon Democratic points of view. And is not this what we all desire – having our politicians striving to represent Oregon in the fullest sense?

The idea that parties will become irrelevant may be a pipe dream, but an open primary system is the first step towards eroding party identification as the basis for representation. It will involve the 29 percent of Oregonians who do not identify with one of the two major parties in the primary process, so that the rest of us will not be left with those politicians the parties have “presented” us with in the general election. Open primaries will incentivize us all to think about how our vote will shape our political future, as the range of candidates we see listed on our ballots will prompt greater inquiry.

Certainly, money will still play an inflated role in name recognition, as it has for centuries. But values will play a role of greater importance, as conscientious Oregon-affiliated voters mark their support for candidates they believe stand for Oregonian principles.

For Democrats who feel their leaders are reaching a point of entrenchment and mismanagement, from $300 million spent on CoverOregon to $200 million on a proposed and yet-to-be-built bridge, open primaries offer an opportunity to infuse our political system with a more frugal vision based on good stewardship. For Republicans who seem to embody antiquated social perspectives and, time and again, lose in the general election, open primaries offer an opportunity at increased representation – even if their candidates are not as “complete” a package as they would like.

But perhaps the greatest win an open primary system would bring home is overcoming the conventional form of politics that offer conflict-based representation. Finding leadership that seeks to resolve our differences by marrying seemingly disparate viewpoints is essential for a renewed and rejuvenated Oregon and United States.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of monarchical case, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.

George Washington’s Farewell Address.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Democrat, indenpendent, NAV, open primary, parties, Party, primary, primary election, Republican

Youth and the Republican Party: An American Recovery

November 4, 2013 by Tim Crawley

Republican Elephant and Democratic DonkeyParty warfare and polarization of ideologies may be significantly to blame for the finger-pointing and squabbling in Washington D.C. Open primaries, term limits, and policies that suspend Congressional pay if shutdowns occur are just some of the answers to questions of how we must reform the internal mechanisms of our government in order to get back on track for being a proud and confident nation.

Yet, these policies may be some time away from now until young leaders are put in power that are willing to limit their own power for long-term objectives. Until that time, we must ask serious questions about how all of us – Republicans, Democrats and Independents – can come together to help shape the new Republican Party and bring back a balance of power to the system to check the unprecedented spending and waste in our federal government.

Every dollar our government spends today is a dollar that young people will have to pay back in their future. This is inherently unfair and unjust. Entrenched leaders in Washington D.C. continue to waste the money of future generations for their own political short-term gain. Our interests, the interests of those in their thirties, twenties and younger – are not being represented.

Young people have an opportunity to take over the Republican Party here in Oregon – be you Democrat, Republican or Independent. We have the opportunity to shape the party for ourselves and take back what is our future to spend – not theirs.

And conservative and progressive values, the real kind that is (as opposed to the kind promoted by the media), may be the kind we younger generations can embrace. We know what it is like to be under the weight of massive educational debt, not to have the employment opportunities we were told would be waiting for us on the other side, and to find ourselves unable to fulfill our American Dreams.

Our current leaders have failed us. We must now take up the torch and lead with real principles. That is, with self-sacrifice, courage, and pride in a future America we can own and love.

Entitlements are wasting our money. Military ventures are wasting our money. Centralized corporate-sponsored federal programs are wasting our money. Congress is wasting our money. This is our future. We want this future to be green, healthy, productive, and local.

To get back in the game we must go to work. We must find work in any sector. If it means working in an area we perceive to be below our educational level, we must work. We must reject anything handed to us. Only then can we hold our heads high. And we must hold our heads high in order to lead.

We will bring jobs back from overseas. We will go to the ports, find out what China is shipping to us, and make those products here. We will make them better and less expensive. We will encourage entrepreneurs. We will educate. We will stockpile. Our future will be one of great influence.

We will put our money into credit unions and keep our organizations nimble, flexible and local – like Privateers. We will execute a trade surplus and pay down our deficit. And we will not be reckless with the future of our next wave of youth.

We will reform Congress. We will take only one term in any given political office and will condemn political entrenchment and the establishment. We will limit our salaries because what we do is a service to our Great Nation, not a pillage of our Great Nation. We will give back, we will pay the way forward, we will unite, we will overcome and we will live mightily on our principles, work and love.

Timothy Crawley, a native son of Oregon, is a candidate for the 2014 United States Senate seat for Oregon.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Economy, Education, Environment, International, National, Portland Tagged With: Albany, Ashland, Astoria, Baker City, Balance of Power, Bandon, Banks, Beaverton, Bend, Black Butte Ranch, Brookings, Cannon Beach, Clatskanie, Conservative, Coos Bay, corporation salaries, corporations, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Crawley, credit unions, debt, Democrat, Democratic Party, domestic, economic reform, Economy, Education, employment, entitlements, entrepreneurs, Eugene, Florence, Forest Grove, Fossil, Gold Beach, Grants Pass, Great Recession, Gresham, Hillsboro, Hood River, Independent, Independent Party, Inequality, international, jobs, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Labor, Lake Oswego, Lincoln City, Manzanita, McMinnville, Medford, media, military, Milwaukie, money, Newberg, Newport, Oregon, Oregon City, Party, Pendleton, political reform, poor, Portland, ports, Prineville, Progressive, Recovery, Redmond, reform, Republican, Republican Party, Rockaway Beach, Roseburg, Salem, Seaside, Sherwood, Sisters, Springfield, student loans, term limits, The Dalles, Tigard, Tillamook, Tim, Tim Crawley, Timothy, Timothy Crawley, trade deficit, trade surplus, Troutdale, Tualatin, unemployment, value, values, Washington D.C., Wealth, wealth inequality, wealth stratification, West Linn, Wilsonville, Youth

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