Can Open Primaries Break the Two-Party Cartel?
Open Primaries founder John Opdycke joins Mike to argue that America’s primary system gives political parties too much control while shutting out millions of independent voters. They discuss taxpayer-funded closed primaries, top-two elections, whether open systems actually reduce polarization, the threat of strategic “raiding,” and why third parties so rarely gain traction. Opdycke also explains the 2024 defeats of several election-reform measures, the risks of bundling open primaries with ranked-choice voting, opposition from both major parties, and why changing election rules matters only if reformers also build new political coalitions and persuade voters to participate.
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