Primaries

Every year before the general election, we have the primaries. Most people don't pay attention to them, but what they fail to realize, is the most of the time, the primaries decide elections. Very seldom do general elections actually matter in this country. Most areas as so strictly republican or so strictly democratic, that it really doesnt matter, who runs for the minority party in the general election.

All in all, I don't necesarily think that primaries are a bad thing. It gives the parties a chance to narrow down their own field, and only run one candidate in the general election. However, primaries do have one major problem. In today's America we are very polarized. The parties are on far ends of the political spectrum, and they always select candidates that lie on their end of the spectrum. The fact that Americans still get the choice when the general election comes would lead you to believe that the system is still just fine. However, it doesn't allow room for the moderates to express their wants. Truth is, "mainstream America" doesnt stand a chance. By the time the parties pick who they want to run out of the primaries, we end up with one candidate from each end of the spectrum. There are very seldom good, moderate candidates.

Anyone that knows me knows that I lie pretty far right. However I do recognize the benefit of having moderate politics. Personally I think that primaries are a good thing, and I think that they minimize the problems that we would otherwise face. However that doesn't change the fact that they do have one serious problem. The best way to fix this is for Amercians to get off of their lazy asses and go vote.