Yes, I Support Closed Primaries

This is Washington Square in Manhattan, actually....

There are two major parties in American politics, the Democrats and the Republicans. The Democrats represent the broader American left, and the Republicans represent the broader American right. At times, these parties may drift more moderate, or more towards their polar opposites, but that is driven by the voters who make up those parties. If you choose to not register in either party, and be an independent, you are saying you cannot be a part of either of these coalitions.

I understand that anyone can register as what they would like- but there are repercussions to all decisions. If you are not a Democrat, you should not vote in Democratic Primaries. If you are not a Republican, you should not vote in Republican Primaries. The voters who choose to put their name in a given party should choose what kind of party they are in. Being a member should have benefits- like getting to choose what the group wants in a nominee. Not only do I not support "open" primaries where independents get a vote for the party's nominee, I actually would support a rule that doesn't allow delegations not elected by Democrats alone to be seated.

The practical implications of this are that Bernie Sanders' does not get as many votes, because some of his supporters refuse to register as Democrats. My argument is that they should register Democrat, and if they are unhappy with where the party is, then vote people out in primaries. Political parties are simply a product of their members. If you think the Democratic Party sucks, do something about it.

In the meanwhile, I hope Democrats pick Democratic nominees for office.