California: Non-Partisan Redistricting, Libertarians and Top Two

CALIFORNIA

• Steven Greenhut: Left wins redistricting game in California (By STEVEN GREENHUT / Special to the Orange County Register) California’s new electoral districts crafted by a supposedly nonpartisan commission, which actually did the bidding of left-wing and ethnic interest groups, will almost certainly ensure a two-thirds legislative majority for tax-hiking Democrats.
• Libertarians bemoan new primary system, back pot (By Kyle Magin, The Union - SW Nevada County CA) The party's national Chairman Mark Hinkle was in Grass Valley on Friday rallying party members and prospective party members to both causes. Speaking before about 20 people at Mi Comida Mexican Restaurant, Hinkle railed against Proposition 14, a 2010 California ballot initiative that established an “open primary.” That means that during primary season, all candidates, regardless of party, will run against each other in the primary election. The top two, regardless of party, will move on to the general election. That spells trouble for third parties, Hinkle said. “The problem with that is third parties are not usually the top two vote-getters,” Hinkle said. “What happens to Libertarian ideas and Libertarian candidates after the primary? We're done.”
• Good Riddance to the Early Primary (By John Wildermuth, Fox & Hounds Daily) That's not what the state needs, especially this year. The primary will be the first election run in the new districts redrawn using the 2010 census data. It also will feature some important - and entertaining -- Democrat vs. Democrat and Republican vs. Republican scrums, made all the more interesting by California's new open primary rules. With all those changes, the state needs more primary voters, not fewer, if the ultimate results are going to be truly representative of the state.