Party invitations sent; RSVP by May 1
More viewpoint
It’s party time. May 1 is primary election day for the two major political parties to select their nominees for county office. Early voting in the primary is already underway. The winners of the Republican and Democratic primaries will face each other in the county general election on Aug. 2.
Why do we have parties? Aristotle said, “Man is a political animal.” So, we gather together in political parties to accomplish those political purposes we couldn’t achieve on our own.
Political scientist John Aldrich, in his book “Why Parties?” said, “Democracy is unthinkable without parties. Every democratic country has parties.” Some democracies have lots of parties (think Italy or Israel), some have a couple (think Australia or the U.S.).
The U.S. parties are among the oldest political associations in the world. The Democratic Party traces its roots to the Democratic-Republicans of Thomas Jefferson, who formed in opposition to the Federalists of John Adams. The Republicans emerged as the party opposed to the expansion of slavald ery and ultimately for its abolition.
Parties are voluntary associations. As voluntary associations, no one is required to join a party. No one is required to stay. People can come and go as they please. And people do come and go.
As people come and go, the makeup of the party changes. Right now, both major parties are undergoing major changes in the composition and nature of their constituent coalitions.
The Republicans are going through the process of digesting the body of Trump voters who have entered their coalition. Democrats are dealing with the loss of rural and working-class America and the increasing importance of minorities and millennials to their coalition.
It is the nature of political coalitions to adapt to changes in the political landscape. The populist movement of the late 19th century ultimately found a home in the Democratic Party with the nomination of William Jennings Bryan in 1896. The populists of Ross Perot ultimately found a home in the Republican Party with the nomination of Don- Trump.
Primaries are one way parties can nominate their candidates for office. In Tennessee the primaries are “open,” which means Tennesseans do not register by party. A voter may vote Republican in one election and Democrat the next. The parties believe such openness attracts more voters than caucuses and conventions and gives their potential nominees exposure to the public in a way that helps them in the general election.
The primaries are also part of the coming and going. The outcome is determined by those who come into the party by voting in the primary. The outcome may also determine who goes out of the party in reaction to a nomination.
With the May 1 primary, the parties have sent you, the voter, an invitation to their party. You may RSVP by showing up at the polls and helping select the candidate you believe will best present the party’s case to the voters in August.
John Ryder is a Memphis attorney who serves as chairman of the Republican National Lawyers Association. He previously served as general counsel to the Republican National Committee. He can be reached at ryderontheriver@gmail.com.
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