The Open Primary measure on the June 2010 primary ballot is identified with state Senator Abel Maldonado who was instrumental in getting the proposal on the ballot. However, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell might see the measure as a device that could help pull him across the finish line and gain the nomination.
Campbell has legitimate grounds for attaching himself to the Open Primary measure and calling it his own. He was the major sponsor of California’s original Open Primary effort, Proposition 198 on the March 1996 primary ballot. That proposition passed 60-percent to 40-percent despite united opposition from the Republican and Democratic parties. (The United States Supreme Court on constitutional grounds later threw it out; but the new measure supposedly deals with the court’s concerns.)
An Open Primary allows the top two finishers in a primary race, regardless of party, to face each other in the general election. Campbell’s argument more than a decade ago was that an Open Primary would elect more moderate candidates who could work together in Sacramento and get things done. That argument very well could register with voters today. The voters in poll after poll have revealed their disgust with the goings-on and lack of productivity in Sacramento.
Arguing that the Open Primary is a tool to end dysfunction in state government, Campbell would tie himself to a cause the voters believe in.
Of course, the challenge for Campbell is that primary voters tend to be more hard-core about their political beliefs. Republican primary voters may heed the call of their party leaders to reject the Open Primary measure. But, it must be remembered that the 1996 Open Primary success occurred at a primary election.
The Open Primary measure certainly falls in line with California’s historical bent for reform and non-partisanship from the early Progressives, through cross-filing for nominations, to non-partisan local elected offices. Campbell can appeal to California tradition in arguing that the measure will improve government workings.
While Campbell wants to distinguish himself from Republican gubernatorial rivals Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner by emphasizing his experience, his wonkish discussion about the workings of California government don’t exactly grab the voter. Railing against a misdirected, dysfunctional government and presenting a solution likely will score points with voters.
Whitman and Poizner will both argue that their plans for Sacramento will shake up the status quo and end the state government’s failures. But, Campbell might respond that Poizner’s call for tax and spending cuts and Whitman’s vow to fire thousands of state workers won’t be seen as a remedy for cooperation but grounds for more partisan bickering.
Campbell is clearly at a disadvantage with his rivals when it comes to the resources to get his message out. To overcome that hurdle, he needs a message that will resonate with the voters. Whether the Open Primary can do the job remains to be seen. But it is a measure that is a natural fit for Campbell and one that could find approval with a seething electorate.