Bruce Burns, in his July 1 guest commentary, “Parties win, voters lose with the Montana Primary,” believes that voters lose with the Montana primary system. I’m a registered Republican. For my kind of voter this system is a win. Since Mr. Burns wants to vote for those who reflect his beliefs and values and he refuses to register as a Republican, I assume that his beliefs and values differ from that of Republicans. If they were the same, he would be a Republican. So the question is: Why should someone who has different values and beliefs than I have help determine who will lead my party?
It is important to me that legislation be enacted which reflects my beliefs and values. This can only be done by groups of like-minded persons, not by individuals. Parties provide those persons. Mr. Burns is dissatisfied with partisan politics. He doesn’t want to be pigeonholed. He wants to choose who he wants. Voting is not about his personal wants. It’s about enacting legislation that reflects one’s beliefs and values.
Mr. Burns can look down his nose at the two-party system but our system of government lends itself to the two-party system. We select a president separate from legislators. In order to get his legislation enacted he needs like-minded legislators to push this legislation through Congress. This is why voting for third-party candidates is a waste of time. Even if they got elected, they wouldn’t have the support in Congress to get their legislation enacted.
Mr. Burns can participate in the primary. He should pick a party which best reflects his beliefs and values. Mr. Burns refuses. Yet, he wants a say in who represents these parties. You want to opt out of the two-party system? Fine. Learn to live with the consequences.
Rich Knapton
Everett
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