What Team Do You Support?

On Tuesday Steve and I attended the Turner Construction Student Forum Q&A session.  The forum brings leading voices and mines from around the world to the SMU campus to speak to students.  This past Tuesday’s guest were author and foreign affairs reporter Thomas Friedman (‘Hot, Flat and Crowded’ and ‘The World is Flat), Fareed Zakaria editor of Newsweek International and host of CNN’s ‘Fareed Zakaria GPS’, and David Gergen commentator, editor, teacher and presidential advisor to Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. 

During the Q&A a high school student asked Fareed about his political stance as a moderate.  Fareed answered that for him it was not about what team he supported, but what is the best solution to the problem. He further commented about how politics now-a-days seemed more about supporting your team, rather than seeking the best solution.

This got me thinking about my own political affiliation and primary elections.  I think the way primary elections are held in our country feeds into the ‘support the team’ mentality.  In my life this is illustrated by my own party affiliation. Up until the point I moved to CA five years ago, I always registered as an independent.  I felt no party really lined up with my view and I did not want to be affiliated with any of them.  As an independent, I was not allowed to vote in the primary elections in the states I resided.  So, when I moved to CA, I decided that the best I could do is to pick a party and work to get the nomination for the candidate within the party that I liked best.

This to me seems like supporting a team, rather than picking the best solution.  What if some year I decide I like what a republican candidate in the primaries best.  The only way I can support that candidate is to register in a different party, which is a hassle.

I much more prefer the open primary system.  I don’t think I should have to be restricted in my support of a candidate early in the process by party lines.