According to Governor Schwarzenegger, "Our current primary system drives candidates to the extreme left or right because they have to appeal to the most hardcore Democrat or Republican voters." That is why he backs Proposition 14. On the face of it, to nonthinking people, this sounds plausible. Please consider the following:

1. With an open primary, is it likely that you and I will change our philosophy of big government versus small government?


2. Will an open primary change our mind regarding marriage, immigration or taxation?


3. With the current governor, we have seen a person that has been all over the map on his policies. My guess is that he would have been likely voted for in an open primary. Knowing what he has done for/to this State, would you have voted for him now?

My guess is that it isn't the makeup of our current primary system that drives people to the extremes, it's simply that this state has people of diverse philosophy. Changing the makeup of the primary is unlikely to change that. My vote is no on Proposition 14.

~ William "Bill" Hicks,
Newbury Park