Dear Friends,
Good morning. As promised in last week’s column, I wanted to give you my thoughts about what California voters did at their primary election a few weeks ago. Against the state Democratic and Republican parties’ wishes, Proposition 14 passed easily. It will change California politics forever unless it is overturned in the state high court.
But before I do, I have three quick items. First, just the other day, Mighty Betsy encountered road rage right here in Quakertown. As she approached Quakertown, she noticed a 30-year-old woman tailgating in her black SUV. Ranting, raving, and making wild gestures, the young woman became so angry that she finally gave MB the finger.
Good grief,
And MB’s response? She cheerfully waved at the hostile woman! I told her that she might have been shot. Instead, it would have been better to use the Charles Meredith depressed thumb waggle (DTW) system, I advised. Several years ago, I came across a hilarious column, which described the DTW as a method to ask for forgiveness after driving badly. I use DTW constantly.
The next time you inadvertently cut some driver off, or fail to let some aggressive driver pass you, try the DTW. Depress the thumb and waggle your hand from left to right. It’s the only gesture that I know which avoids sending a hostile message.
Second item.
Here’s a classic letter to the editor from the New York Times (June 12). It was in response to Deidre Bair’s column about former Vice President Al and Tipper Gore’s separation after 40 years. Here’s what the writer wrote:
“I am 73 years old and recently divorced after a long marriage,” the writer began. “I have concluded that the most prevalent common denominator causing couples to break up at this stage of life is weariness at making the compromises that are inevitably part of living with another person.
“I can now do what I want when I want to do it. Still, men who become recycled singles in late life should expect that their daughter, if they have one, will almost instantly reach the conclusion that her father is incapable of running his own life without her supervision.”
Item.
I received an email from my old friend Curt Yeske who ran the public affairs office at the Bucks County Community College for decades. He’d read my May 27 column about the Newtown bypasses and former State Senator Marvin Keller. I attributed those bypasses to Keller’s influence.
Curt reminded me that it was State Senator Ed Howard who made the Newtown bypasses happen. “After he [Howard] defeated the long-term senator in the 1970 spring primary and was elected in the fall, Ed Howard took on the Harrisburg establishment to get the highway scheduled,” Yeske’s email noted.
Curt also confirmed my impression that Bucks County women held enormous power in county wide and legislative elections. They still do. He remembered being summoned by Senator Keller to a press conference during that primary election fight. A reporter asked how Keller assessed Ed Howard’s campaign that was heavily staffed by many volunteers? Keller’ response was infuriating.
“I see that there is a lot of activity at Howard’s campaign headquarters,” Keller replied, “but it’s nothing really; it’s just women.”
Poor Marv Keller never knew what hit him. Newcomer Ed Howard beat the entrenched state senator overwhelmingly. I learned early in my political life that a candidate had to pay close attention to what the women were thinking. Thanks, Curt for your corrections.
And now to Proposition 14.
“Forget conventional closed primaries,” Michael Smerconish, the former Doylestown resident, radio talk show host (1210 AM) and Inquirer columnist penned in his article (June 6). “Proposition 14 would allow candidates in California’s primary to choose whether to associate themselves with a particular party or run unaffiliated.
“Then all candidates would be listed on the same ballot, and every voter, regardless of party affiliation (or lack thereof), would be eligible to weigh in. The top two vote-getters-again, no matter what parties they represent- would advance to the general election,” Smerconish continued. It means you could have two Republicans square off in the November election, or two Democrats, or two unaffiliated candidates.
“Independents remain the largest and fastest-growing voting demographic in the country,” Smerconish wrote. “A greater percentage of Americans identify themselves as independents (40 percent) than Democrats (30 percent) or Republicans (28 percent).
“Yet in many places, including Pennsylvania, that burgeoning segment of the population is barred from voting in either party’s nominating contests,” Smerconis added. “As a result, the primaries are dominated by the major parties’ respective fringe elements. Independents and moderates can do little to temper the far left and far right. And by the time unaffiliated voters and moderates do get a say [in the November election], they’re forced to choose between a far-left Democrat and a far-right Republican.”
Californians made history when they passed Proposition 14 a few weeks ago. In my view, California voters made their Democratic and Republican parties irrelevant. I have no doubt that both parties will test Proposition 14 in court. But, if Proposition 14 survives that challenge, other states will surely follow.
With Proposition 14, the only detriment that I see is that only very wealthy or well-organized candidates will be nominated in the primary, and then elected in the fall. Unless a candidate has tremendous economic firepower or can use the Internet to organize a campaign tidal wave, it’s unlikely that a political unknown can be successful.
It can be done, of course. Barrack Obama and Jesse Ventura (the former Governor of Minnesota) were exceptions. Both used the Internet to surprise their Democratic and Republican national and state organizations, respectively.
Still, when you look at the intellectual ability and honesty of the California state legislature (and I’d expand my opinion to all 50 states…especially Pennsylvania), we citizens are not well served these days. You could make a case for throwing all of them out and starting over.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith