Austin Centrist

In the absence of a major revision of the two-party primary system that tends to weed out moderate candidates prior to the general election, I think the way to improve our choices is to get moderate voters more involved in the party primaries. Every news story I hear asks whether the moderate candidates of either party will be able to appeal to their party's presumed primary voters. The conventional wisdom requires candidates such as Rudi Giuliani to either abandon principled positions and pander to his party's so-called base, or else kiss the nomination goodbye.

Why should we surrender the nominating process to the extremes at either end of the spectrum? Any self-described moderate who laments their lack of choices in November has an obligation to get involved early. Any voter who plans to vote in November has an obligation to help decide the slate of candidates from which they will choose in November. More voters vote in the general elections than in the primaries. Why should we be satisfied with having more voters participate in the process only after there are fewer candidates?