Plymouth, MI

Monday, April 30, 2012

 Political Novelist Starts Petition for National One Day Primary

by Jim Lynch

While Mitt Romney, the presumed Republican nominee for President is already looking for a Vice Presidential running mate, there are 14 states that have yet to vote in the Republican primary. As a result millions of Americans have absolutely no voice in the process. Let's face it; the primary system is broken.

The primary is meaningless for citizens living in Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, Nebraska, Oregon, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. That involves some 770 uncontested electoral votes for these 14 states.

California and Texas, America's two most populous states with more than 60 million people will not have an opportunity to weigh in on who their candidate will be! This is creating an alienated and cynical electorate that is becoming more disenfranchised with every election cycle. Can you blame Americans for tuning out? This is not democracy; in fact, it just may be as bad as the backroom politics back in the old days of bosses and political machines.

Voting in America should be cherished as a sacred right, as a meaningful experience to every American. But voting has become totally meaningless for almost a third of the states participating in 2012 Republican primary balloting.

This flawed process is a ringing endorsement of the reform proposal to have a National One Day Primary on the same day in all 50 states for all presidential candidates. The idea has been around for some time and now should be seriously pursued by the leadership of both parties. If this does not happen soon, then all caring citizens should join in a national referendum to bring about a National One Day Primary.

The single day primary would also bring an end to local pandering to voters - like Newt Gingrich telling the people in Cape Canaveral "We should build a moon base" - and to the months of negative campaigning on TV and radio, one harmful and even nauseating attack after another, without end. And it would be far easier for both parties to unite behind the winners who emerge from the one day balloting.

As a loyal citizen and devoted political science enthusiast I have long been in favor of a National One Day Primary, as well as other measures to elevate the dignity and meaning of the American political process. Because I was and still am convinced that Americans must overhaul our political process and the insidious role that media advocacy plays in this process, I also have advocated a viable three-party system, a single six-year term for President, and a ban on any political campaigning while in office.

With a little creativity and the desire to succeed, Americans can reform our political process in ways that will restore pride, dignity, and common sense to our democracy. It only requires a little knowledge and a lot of will power. Do we have any, or is it really too late? I certainly hope not.

If you agree go to http://www.facebook.com/JimLynchAuthor2020Players and "Like" the page and the petition.

About Jim Lynch

Jim Lynch is the author of The 2020 Players a futuristic look at the presidential elections of 2020. A native New Yorker, Lynch is married with eight children and four grandchildren. Born of parents who both worked for the FBI the author spent eight years as an investigator and was an executive for AT&T. Lynch is a full time novelist. http://www.facebook.com/JimLynchAuthor2020Players

Scott Lorenz

Westwind Communications

Plymouth, MI

734-667-2090