A Party of Primaries

I think Primaries are a good thing. It keeps things fresh and elected officials honest. As an incumbent you hate them. As a news reporter you LOVE them for the drama and conflict (because really that's what sells news right?). As a Party leader you publically support them and stay neutral, but still hate them for the often divisive versus constructive nature of those types of races.

Senator Bennett's got a Primary. Congressman Cannon had a number of Primaries and eventually lost in one. And, there is a lot of speculation as to who may or may not challenge Gary Herbert from within for Governor in 2010.

So I found this exchange at the PolitickerNY interesting. It's an interview with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, about his plans to run against current Democratic Governor David Patterson, who replaced the disgraced former Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Interesting parallels with our own Utah Republican Party. Particularly considering that both New York and Utah have had and soon will have recently replaced state-wide elected officials; NY - Gov. Spitzer & Sen. Clinton, and Utah - Gov. Huntsman.

AC (Andrew Cuomo): My plan is to run for reelection as attorney general.

Q: That has not changed?

AC: Nope.

Q: There was a lot of action in terms of potential challengers to Kirsten Gillibrand sort of being asked to not run. Just in general, is there any benefit to a party that has gone through some appointments on the statewide level, having primaries? Is there any upside?

AC: The Democratic Party is essentially a party of primaries. I mean, there’s always the discussion ‘Maybe it would be good if there were no primaries, and everyone just gets behind and picks a candidate.’ For many years the Democrats said that’s what the Republicans do. They just squelch intraparty discussion. The—we often have primaries. President Obama is the product of primaries. In the presidential, the Senate race, I even think he ran against Bobby Rush for Congress, early on. That must have been a primary, right? So we’re a party of primaries, which I think winds up being good for us, because I think the conversation and the discussion within the party can be very productive. Because we have a broad party, a lot of diverse interests, and those interests need to be discussed and need to be aired. So I think it can be good, as long as the primaries remain constructive, and not destructive.

Q: Will Paterson have a primary next year?

AC: Oh, next year? Who knows what’s going to happen next year? Next year is a long way away.


Next year is indeed a long way away. A long way away indeed...