In uncertain and transformational times, populism has a way of finding itself onto Politician's lips and into the legislation they propose. Though well meaning we're sure, Rep. Keys bill to require the political parties to pay for their own primaries is bad public policy in our opinion.
This indirect "pay to play" plan makes us very uncomfortable- and may be deemed unconstitutional if it passed and went to the High Court. If I was a political party with a money disadvantage, I would be claiming from the rooftops that this isn't fair, especially if a neighboring state didn't have such requirements.
Though the cost of running elections can be costly, most people accept this as another function of their government that they pay for. We believe it sets a dangerous precedent to require political parties to pay for their own elections - except of course when a defeated candidate asks for a legal recount.
Here is Rep. Key's press release:
OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Charles Key thinks that political parties ought to have to pay for their own presidential primaries in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma City Republican filed a bill Tuesday that would make any political party with a contested presidential primary election pay a proportionate amount towards that election date’s cost. The state spends approximately $3 million on primary elections, he said.
“There are more important places for that money to go in this current budget climate,” Key said. “Nationwide, only 21 percent of taxpayers participate in presidential primaries. Why should the other 80 percent have to pick up the cost?”
Comments
Tell you what, Mr. Arps. Since I'm sick to death of my money being given to filthy rich bankers, and since giving my money to filthy rich bankers is a bipartisan effort, I've come to the decision that neither the Democratic nor the Republican Parties as they now stand represent me. Now, on the one hand, I could get more involved with one of them and try to move it to represent me and my fellow non-filthy-rich-banker citizens. And I'm trying to do just that. On the other hand, I could leave both of them and their bipartisan efforts to bend me, my neighbors, my friends and my family behind.
So, this begs the question. Are you willing to pay for the primaries of the Constitution, Libertarian, Green and even Communist Parties so I can have a proper choice? No?
Where do you draw the line and why do you draw it there? If the parties were as institutionalized in 1860 as they are now, we wouldn't even have a Republican Party, Mr. Arps.
Steal from the poor and give to the rich. These parties really, really don't need you to steal from my shallow pockets in order to keep going. Now, is it that in America fair is fair, or what? Because that doesn't sound like what you're advocating.
Where to begin? Well, let's give it a go:
1. We aren't talking about an election here, strictly speaking, we're talking about how the parties (which are technically private organizations, like any club) choose who their candidates are going to be. It isn't unconstitional (at least not the federal constitution) because parties in many states choose their nominees by means other than state-funded primaries. How do they do it? They're called caucuses, conventions, etc.
2. What difference does it make if a neighboring state doesn't do it the same way. Why would that make it unfair? It's not like the parties of each state are competing somehow.
3. As "acptulsa" pointed out, are you willing to pay to hold primaries for the Libertarian, Green, Constitution, and every other party in existence? How do these parties currently choose their candidates if they don't have primaries? They manage. It seems rather unfair to me to tax Libertarians, Greens, etc, to pay for the Big Boys (Republicans and Democrats) to have their primaries. If it's a shred of equality you want, you'll agree that if "third-parties" must provide for their own nomination processes, then the bigger, richer parties should have to do the same.
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