Yesterday, I received a phone call from someone who said he was an Independent voter.
OK.
He wanted me to be aware that Independents don't get a chance to vote for a party candidate in the Primary elections. Yes, I know that.
He said that other states are moving toward open primaries and that he is campaigning for Illinois to have an open primary election too. At least 10 states have or are moving toward Open primaries.
He added that there are at least 40% of all voters who are really Independents.
I told him that there aren't any real Independents since they vote either Democratic or Republican in the election. Every person that I've met out here who claims to be an Independent usually just says that so they won't have to discuss politics . They also tend to vote Republican anyway, kinda like Libertarians.
He did not dispute that.
I: I'm calling to ask your support for Open Primaries.
I asked him, how would that work?
I: There are a lot of Independents who would like to vote for a candidate in the primary.
T: Yes, but they can do that, all they have to do is declare the party they in which they want to vote.
I: Independents don't want to declare a party.
T: But doesn't that negate the whole idea of a primary where the party chooses their candidates?
I: The idea is to make the process more open and more fair.
T: How would it do that?
I: Well, in an open election, the two highest vote getters would then be the candidates.
T: That wouldn't be fair.
I: How would that be unfair?
T: I live in a Republican County and the Republicans control the ballots here and the vote counting. The two highest vote getters would then be Republicans.
I: That would be fair since it is the majority who have expressed their opinion.
T: Then the minority gets left out of the process completely.
I: But, you see, the majority has made their choice.
T: Isn't that against the idea of giving the minority a voice?
Then Mr. T picked up the other phone and made the poor man start over again...and he asked the same questions I did...but when Mr. T said..."Sir, let me tell you..." The man hung up.
Mr. T has that effect on some people.
I was wondering how I got on this call list from this Independent and then I realized which political call list group I was already on. Judy Biggert's.
I get her calls to attend Town Meetings.
I get Mark Kirk's calls to attend Town Meetings.
I get The Tea Party's calls to attend Town Meetings.
I get calls from Republican Candidates. I get calls pushing the Tea Party/ Republican agenda.
My Democratic and Independent friends and neighbors do not get calls.
Even Dan Proft has called me!
The man asked for me, by my first name...not Mrs. or Mr.
When I visit Judy Biggert's office, I have to "sign in" while my husband refuses.
(It is all Move On's Fault!)
These Independents in DuPage County probably got their phone list from Judy's Office...or maybe I was automatically put on the Republican list. Hmmmm.
(Full disclosure -- I am a registered Democrat and a Democratic Technical Election Judge)
I don't mean to be paranoid....because there may be Liberal leaning Independents in DuPage...but they wouldn't ever vote Republican. They would probably vote Green.