The Wrong Approach

I received a press release from Luke Esser, the newly elected head of the Washington State Republican Party, headlined, "U.S. Supreme Court to Resolve "Top Two" Primary Case." After striking down I-872, the initiative that passed overwhelmingly after our political parties stole the open primary away for the voters, and created the Top Two system, BOTH parties, acting in concert, successfully sued to have that taken from us as well, forcing us to choose a single party ballot.

What I found most interesting, was this quote from the release... "The Washington case now going before the Supreme Court arises from an appeal by the sponsors and supporters of Initiative 872, which would have created a “Top Two” primary election that effectively stripped political parties of any role in determining who would carry their standard on election day, and could lead to Republicans being denied a spot on the general election ballot in many parts of the state."

Losing this case seriously worries Esser and the Republicans because they are the minority party in Washington — and not by just a small margin.

Instead of trying to protect a system that voters have clearly said they don't want or like, perhaps the Republican Party would be better served (and attract more voters) if it just moved more into the mainstream, and away from the extreme right where it currently is perceived to be. The majority of voters in our state don't vote Republican because the party doesn't represent what that majority believes in or wants.

Could it just be that simple? Well, DUH!
Will they "get it?" Of course not. They never do.