The No. 3 Senate Democrat says a two-party primary would undercut the tea party movement.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer says a number of states let voters of all parties participate in a primary, with the top two vote-getters deciding the election in a runoff.
Schumer says this can result in more moderate Republicans and independents prevailing.
Schumer is speaking to the Center for American Progress. He’s rallying Democrats to defend the government, which is widely criticized by the tea party.
In excerpts from his speech, Schumer highlights what he describes as the divide between tea party elites, specifically mentioning the Koch (kohk) brothers and grass-roots tea party members.
(AP)
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2 Responses
Louisiana and most recently California (after a referendum opposed by the political leadership) have systems in which there is in effect a non-partisan system. It eliminates third parties (something New York is infamous for), and can result in the election being between two members of the same party.
It isn’t clear who would benefit. Clearly a candidate whose support comes from traditional members of multiple parties would benefit, which would favor liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats, and also groups whose appeal cuts accross party lines, such as Libertarians.
It would undermine local machines, of which the downstate Democrats is the most notorious.
Utter non sense. The tea party us made up of conservative republicans and democrats as well ad independents.
Ad usual he is plAying us all