Good Q. Combo of… 1. Politics becoming more polarized since they got elected 2. Many are actually from semi-open primary states 3. The primary type alone doesn’t always dictate the outcome Q back: if primaries don’t matter, why are extremes pushing so hard to close them?

To quote…you: “The main conclusion here is that primary elections do appear to exert a polarizing tug on our politics…There is ample evidence that fear of a primary challenge pulls candidates to reject compromise…and to engage in partisan conflict.” newamerica.org/political-refo…

Unironically pandering to those comfortable with a left-wing version of Trumpism. I'll venture to say this does not get our democracy out of the ditch, but only digs it further.

Paging Gavin Newsom: "By nearly a two-to-one margin, voters prefer keeping an independent line-drawing panel to determine the state’s House seats, the latest POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey found. Just 36 percent of respondents back returning congressional

Alaskans have the freedom to vote for any candidate in any election, regardless of political party. How? Two words: Open. Primaries.

Check out the #2025GenderParityIndex that grades each state on the number of women elected to federal, state & local offices across the United States!

“Using the dysfunction of other states to justify dismantling California’s voter-approved reforms sets a dangerous precedent…pulling CA into political quicksand that threatens the democratic pillars we've long championed.” - letter from CA civic orgs prod.cdn.everyaction.com/images/van/EA/…

"The more the outcome of a general election is predetermined, the more the real choice among candidates shifts to the primary. That puts the base of each party in control, rewarding candidates who play to extremes." - NYT Ed Board #PrimaryProblem nytimes.com/2025/08/22/opi…

My god. Praying for Charlie Kirk. What an absolutely fucking horrific moment in time we are living in.

In Utah for a @UniteAmerica event and absolutely sickened by this latest episode of unacceptable violence in our country. My prayers are with Charlie's family. Our body politic is deeply ill, and it's on all of us to be part of the solution -- in any and every way we can.

In the last few years we've seen: - The plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer - The Storming of the Capitol and pipe bombs left at the RNC and DNC - The break-in to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and the brutal on Paul Pelosi - Multiple assassination attempts against Trump - The assassination

Statement by President George W. Bush: "Today, a young man was murdered in cold blood while expressing his political views. It happened on a college campus, where the open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct. Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public

Our political environment is unsustainable. Some are rewarded — in attention, votes and money — by accelerating these trends. Some are working to reverse them: building bridges, changing incentives, and offering new leadership. All of us have a responsibly to do our part.

Great bold, bipartisan statement here from the College Democrats of America and the College Republicans Many elected officials from both parties could learn something from them. Maybe the kids *are* alright. More of this, please.

We JUST ended a troubled era of cancel culture, speech restrictions, deplatforming, university quotas, and the IRS targeting political groups and and now we’re right back on the cusp of repeating it, only in a different flavor.

Watch a new cut of the #MajorityRules featuring never-before-seen footage from the 2024 primary election reform ballot initiatives. Stream the film on your favorite platform now! For more, head to majorityrulesfilm.com Unite America AJ Schnack Nick Troiano

The Longreads editors’ picks continues to be my go-to aggregation of excellent longform journalism (ever since Daniel Lippman turned me on to it many years ago). Highly recommend: longreads.com/picks/

The 2013 government shutdown — led by Republicans as leverage to defund the ACA — caused me to leave the GOP and become an independent (and run against my Congressman in the next election). The 2025 government shutdown — led by Democrats as leverage to extend ACA subsidies —

🚨New polling shows 28% of Indiana GOP primary voters would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supports mid-decade redistricting. The poll reinforces some Indiana Republicans' concerns that redrawing the map is unnecessary — and even potentially harmful to their electoral

One more idea for you NO MORE PARTISAN PRIMARIES. Taxpayer funded primaries that don’t allow every voter to participate in a private org’s election should be ruled unconstitutional.