Argument: Closed primaries check centrism in general election

Support

“Why open primaries are a really bad idea.” Next Left. May 26th, 2009: “any competitive electoral system generates pressure on parties to move to the centre to maximize votes (or, in the case of the our present, dysfunctional electoral system, to move to the centre in a small number of swing constituencies). But one check on this is that candidates and party platforms do have to address the views of party members as well the median voter. Under an open primary system that check on across-the-board centrism would be removed.”