The Crush - January 2019 - 3

[ FROM THE PRESIDENT ]

California Needs a Competitive Two-Party System
IT WOULD BETTER ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY TO ADVANCE FAVORABLE POLICY IDEAS
By John Aguirre
Much has been written about the demise of the Republican
party in California. Republican voter registrations have been in a
steady decline the past decade and today just one in four voters,
24.5 percent, identify as Republican. A plurality of voters, 44
percent, identify as Democrats, while a second group, accounting
for 27 percent, identify as no party preference. As a result,
California is one of five states - along with Illinois, Rhode Island,
Hawaii and New Jersey - where Democrats control all statewide
offices and possess supermajority status in both chambers of the
legislature.
It remains unclear whether California Republicans can stop
their slide into irrelevance, which is a big problem. I'm not
partisan, but I believe Californians would be better served by
a competitive two-party system and I would say the same if
Republicans occupied the same political status as Democrats
do today. California is a large, diverse state with complicated
problems. We need a competitive marketplace of policy ideas to
ensure the best ideas are adopted.
A competitive two-party state would better ensure the kind
of accountability we desperately need for those advancing
ambitious policy agendas. Today, any Republican or Democrat
in California who dares to claim the political center risks a
primary challenge from his/her left or right. That's not the kind
of accountability we need. Instead, we should want a system that
demands our leaders aim for the center, but we won't have such
a system until Republicans broaden their appeal and attract new
voters.
In other states Republicans continue to present viable, relevant
candidates where Democratic voters are even more dominant
than in California. Remarkably, as a blue wave swept the nation
this past November, voters in Massachusetts, Maryland and
Vermont re-elected incumbent Republican governors for a second
term. And, in each of those states the proportion of voters who
identify as Democrat is greater than in California.
How could Vermonters - who turned out overwhelmingly to
re-elect Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose name defines the progressive
left wing of the Democratic Party - re-elect Republican Gov. Phil
Scott to a second term? In his election night acceptance speech,
Scott said, "We can't allow ourselves to fall victim to pettiness,
political games and angry rhetoric. We must be better, kinder and
more respectful to one another, and take time to listen."

Vermont's Burlington Free Press
wrote, "Scott is a fiscal conservative,
but he has also worked with
Democrats on issues such as
immigration, gun regulation and
health care payment reform - even
when those decisions have alienated
fellow Republicans."
In Maryland, voters consistently
view Republican Gov. Larry
Hogan as a 'nice guy.' Throughout his tenure as governor,
Hogan has avoided engaging on divisive national issues and
embraced Democratic proposals such as paid sick leave and free
community college for some students.
In Massachusetts, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker coasted to
re-election by a margin of more than 33 percentage points over
his Democratic rival. Baker's margin of victory was greater than
that of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), recently announced
candidate for president, who was also up for re-election. Baker
received endorsements from Democrats, independents and
Republicans, including five Democratic legislators and 21
mayors.
Govs. Hogan and Baker, by their words and actions, made clear
their commitment to address the problems and priorities of
college-educated suburban voters, Latinos, African Americans,
women and millennials. As the national political climate grew
more polarized and vitriolic, Gov. Scott remained focused
on bipartisanship and inclusivity. During their respective
campaigns, all three Republican candidates espoused more
limited, incremental government in contrast to their Democratic
rivals, who espoused policy proposals based on more
government, more regulation and more spending.
The paths chosen by these Republican candidates in
overwhelmingly Democratic states mean voters in Maryland,
Massachusetts and Vermont have competitive two-party systems
of government that better ensure accountability and protection
from the excesses of one-party rule. Voters in those states should
be grateful.

JANUARY 2019 / 3



The Crush - January 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Crush - January 2019

The Crush - January 2019 - 1
The Crush - January 2019 - 2
The Crush - January 2019 - 3
The Crush - January 2019 - 4
The Crush - January 2019 - 5
The Crush - January 2019 - 6
The Crush - January 2019 - 7
The Crush - January 2019 - 8
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-jan-feb-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-november-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-october
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-august
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-july
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-november-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-april2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-march2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-march2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/the-crush-february2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/Jan2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/cawg/cawg/newsletter_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_2001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cawg/newsletter_1812
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com