California primaries have one purpose: for registered voters of each political party to vote to select their nominees for the November general election. Democrats can nominate Democrats; Republicans can nominate Republicans, and that's the way it should remain.
After all, clubs and organizations don't let non-members vote in their elections and neither should California's voters do that in primaries.
Should Democrats be allowed to nominate Republican candidates for office? No! Should Republicans be allowed to nominate Democratic candidates for office? No!
Should Peace and Freedom Party members be allowed to choose the Republican candidate for office? Or should Libertarians choose the Democratic candidate for office? NO!
In primary elections, where parties choose their nominees, only Republicans should be allowed to vote for Republicans, Democrats for Democrats, etc. In the general election, where we choose our leaders, all voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of party.
When Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan in the primary, should Democrats have interfered? NO. Or when Democrats nominated John Kennedy in the primaries, should Republicans have interfered? NO.
Proposition 198 is a cynical attempt by a few self-serving politicians to twist the rules of California's electoral process to advance their own careers.
POLITICIANS AND SPECIAL INTERESTS WILL ABUSE THE PROCESS
Proposition 198 is an invitation to political mischief. This would be a dream come true for the politicians, political consultants and special interests who will use specialized targeting to manipulate the political system to the benefit of their hand-picked candidates. California elections are already getting out of hand with way too much control by the special interests and political consultants with their massive checkbooks. Proposition 198 would just make the problem worse and take California even further down the wrong path.
PROPOSITION 198 IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
The United States Supreme Court has already ruled a similar law unconstitutional because political parties should have the right to decide who votes in their own primaries. We don't need another badly drafted initiative clogging up our court system.
Vote no on attempts to undermine democracy. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 198.
JOHN S. HERRINGTON
Chairman, California Republican Party
BILL PRESS
Chair, California Democratic Party