Polarized
Our Nation is polarized. In almost any conversation, the politics and state of our country are dangerous topics to approach. Do your co-workers agree with your politics? Do you really want to know? And if they don’t, will your working relations be impacted by your opposing views? Perhaps it’s better to leave “that sleeping dog lie”.
Just a glance at the primary election results from Ohio, South Carolina, or Nevada demonstrates the polarization of American politics. There seems to be no room for candidates even approaching “ the middle”. Just yesterday, South Carolina Congressman Tom Rice was ousted from his seat by his own Republican Party, after a decade in office. He is a typical, conservative Republican member of Congress. He won each of his elections by more than 55% of the vote. His sole transgression – he was one of ten Republican Congressmen who voted to impeach Donald Trump.
By the end of 2021, 28% of American voters identified as Democrat. 28% identified as Republicans. That leaves 44% of Americans who did not “choose” a political party label, though 14% “leaned” Democrat, 19% “leaned” Republican and 9% claimed to be independent (Gallup).
Choice of the Few
But the current primary system in most states requires voters to “identify” as either Democrat or Republican in order to get a ballot with primary candidate selections. It’s pretty simple: to win the chance to run on a general election ballot, a candidate must win out in a party primary. So it’s not the voters of Ohio or South Carolina choosing Republican or Democratic candidates, it’s the voters who identify with those parties. Simply put, it’s the 28%’s on both sides that choose who the 100% will get to vote for in November.
Each Congressional District in the United States has approximately 800,000 people. Of those about half are eligible and vote in general elections. In South Carolina’s Seventh District, Tom Rice won just short of 225,000 votes in the 2020 election. But in yesterday’ primary, Rice’s opponent Russell Fry gained 43,374 votes for 51% of the vote, to Rice’s 20,846 for 24%.
The few are choosing for the many. And those few primary voters are the motivated, driven to the polls by their involvement and determination. In today’s South Carolina Republican Party, they are the voters motivated by the ex-President, Donald Trump.
It’s likely Russell Fry will win the Seventh District in November. It used to be rated a “Deep Red” District. Now, it’s called a “Strong Trump” District (WAPO). That’s where the Republican Party is right now.
Et Tu – Democrats?
While some would argue, I don’t see Democrats motivated in quite the same way. Dems have a “left wing” of the Party, Bernie Sanders and the like, but time and time again in this year’s primaries the left wing has been turned back, and Democrats chose more centrist candidates. The most obvious example is the Mayoral Election in New York City. It’s a Democratic town, and the winning candidate was determined in the Democratic primary. While New York uses a convoluted preference voting system, in the end a moderate candidate, former NYPD Captain Eric Adams, won out over more progressive candidates like Maya Wiley.
Los Angeles faces a similar situation. California uses a “jungle” primary with all parties on one ballot, but LA is a Democratic stronghold. Two Democrats reached the final election: Progressive Congressman Karen Bass and more moderate real estate developer, Rick Caruso. Bass eked out a win in the beginning round of voting, but both candidates received around 40% of the vote, and the two will runoff in the November general election.
We are a product of the system. Our political primaries drive the candidates for the general election; and those primaries are slanted to the most loyal and dedicated party members. For those who long for a “middle ground”; the system doesn’t support that.
In a nation polarized by social media and candidates on both sides appealing to the extremes, it’s unlikely that the middle ever gets represented. No wonder so many feel that voting in November is a choice between the “lesser of two evils”, rather than a positive. Almost half of eligible Americans don’t vote. Maybe now we know why.
