Why Robust Primaries Are the Best Way to Ensure a Healthy Democracy

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offWe have primaries for a reason. Primaries exist so that the people can provide feedback on the job performance of their representatives.If we don’t like the way our representatives are using the power we give them, we have a mechanism in place to have them removed.That’s democracy.The problem is that somewhere along the line, rich people decided that once they were elected to office they were entitled to hold that seat forever. The consequence of this is a generation of politicians who lecture and sneer at the people rather than listen to them.In the 2020 election, the people gave the Democrats the power to hold the insurrectionist and all his accomplices accountable for the crimes they committed against our country. But rather than do anything with that power, the Democrats decided to go on as if it were “business as usual.”Today, schools are being bombed abroad, and children are getting round up by masked police and raped in concentration camps. Our current generation of politicians failed us. It’s time for something different.The problem is that our entire political and media system has been designed to disregard the primaries. The reason for that is simple: they know the primaries give us power! They don’t want us to know we have power, so they keep distracting us in every way possible.But we’re not going to let them.Establishment Democrats make a lot of haughty and dismissive comments about primaries. It’s abundantly clear that they don’t like them. But they keep overlooking the fact that primaries are their job review.It’s time that our representatives “got over themselves.” It’s time that they stopped hiding out in their mansions to maintain the illusion that they’re insulated from the consequences of all their bad decisions.The people are suffering based on their choices, and we’re not going to put up with it anymore.When you stop and think, it’s absolutely ludicrous that Democrats aren’t in favor of primaries.Primaries allow for multiple candidates to canvas a district. Those candidates can activate the voting base because they provide the people with a choice. Primaries allow for the development of name recognition. Win or lose, the candidates who participate in primaries can run for other elections on the county, state, or federal level.It’s win, win, win.The only “downside” is that ineffective, millionaire politicians that use their office only to enrich themselves risk losing their seat.As you can probably tell, I don’t consider that a downside at all.As we look out at our current political landscape, it’s clear that business as usual is a complete and total failure. The Democratic party managed to lose the presidency to arguably the most loathsome human being to ever live. Their current strategy caused them to lose control of the Supreme Court, the House, and the Senate.That’s a complete and total failure if you ask me. We can’t allow the Democrats to continue to shove their worthless strategies down our throats. Yet, whenever I receive a message from the DNC, it includes comments from James Carville who hasn’t won a race since 1992, and who only won then because Ross Perot sabotaged the Republicans.Why is it so hard for the party that claims it represents “education and reason” to see what should be painfully obvious?We need a new vision.We need new leadership.We need a party that embraces rather than suppresses the idea of the primaries.Pete Buttigieg recently made an endorsement for my political district. Now, I love Pete. I think he’s a brilliant and compassionate man. He’s one of the few people in politics who I wouldn’t want to challenge to a debate. I’ve seen him talk, that guy can run circles around me. He’s got one of the sharpest minds I’ve ever seen.But on the issue of who should represent Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional district, I have some advantages. I talk to people in this district every day. I know where the best coffee shops are. I know what the schools are like. I literally have thousands of hours of experience in what makes this district work.When it comes to who should represent me in my own district, Pete needs to sit down and listen rather than stand up and speak.That’s the whole issue with the DNC. They spend too much time lecturing and not enough time listening.It’s truly unfortunate that the Democrats refuse to embrace the idea that people should select their own representatives. They constantly trot out their disrespectful and often racist talking points about “electability” and “fund raising” and they forget the most important part of politics.Listen.We’ve seen the Democrats engage in deplorable behavior when it comes to primaries. They threw a temper tantrum when Mamdani won and many of the high ranking members supported Cuomo even though his participation threatened their victory. This is what has to change. Democrats always try to insist that their strategies are “designed to win.” But the problem is that they haven’t won. They’ve lost everything. In addition, even when the voters gave them power in 2020, their watered down candidates refused to do anything with it.What’s the point in working hard to elect vanilla candidates who refuse to represent the will of the people when they get sworn in?Like it or not, our elections feature primaries. Like it or not, primaries activate the community. Without primaries, candidates don’t feel any need to listen to their voters. It’s hard to be enthusiastic about any representative that refuses to acknowledge your concerns.But when multiple candidates are going door to door, it allows the people to educate our politicians on the issues that matter most.This is essential.This is critical.The DNC’s efforts to amputate this process is the exact reason they’re seen as completely out of touch.I’ve interviewed a lot of progressive candidates. They tell me how they receive pressure from the party to step down. Some of them tell me about the absurd obstacles they have to overcome just to get on the ballot. I applaud each and every one of these candidates for the work they do.At this point, they’ve already secured a resounding victory for freedom just in the fact that they gave the voters a choice.Let’s be real for a second, if we don’t have multiple candidates to choose from, then it’s no choice at all. If we don’t have a choice, we’re not free.I’d like to see a future Democratic party that embraces the idea of primaries. I strongly feel that’s the strategy change that will replace endless defeats with endless victories. I demand to have some influence on selecting the individuals who will represent me.We shouldn’t stand for a political party that won’t tolerate primaries.Instead, we must demand a political party that recognizes how primaries play a critical role in our representation.The Democrats have lost their way and we’ve very nearly lost the whole country as a consequence. However, the primaries are going on right now, and we have the unique opportunity to vote in a new generation of candidates that will actually listen.Feel the power people! You have a right to select your candidate!Check out these candidates:Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe