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Measure #65 — NO
Official Ballot Title
Changes General Election Nomination Processes
For Major/Minor Party, Independent Candidates
For Most Partisan Offices
Simply Stated
A Yes vote eliminates tax-funded private party
primaries for most elections, replacing them with
one open primary.
PEAPAC Commentary
If enacted, this Measure would radically change the way our
elections are conducted. Some of those changes have merit.
Positive Considerations
George Washington, in his Farewell Address warned against
the emerging party system. "It serves to distract the Public Councils,
and enfeeble the Public Administration....agitates the Community
with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the
animosity of one....against another....it opens the door to foreign
influence and corruption...thus the policy and the will of one
country are subjected to the policy and will of another." How
prophetic these words have turned out to be! The current rancor
coming from the dominant two parties is just plain disgusting and
highly unproductive. All public policy matters are now primarily
discussed from a partisan political perspective, with the appropriate
spin applied.
And it seems very wrong that our taxes pay for private political
party primaries. Most people haven't even thought about the
fact that their taxes fund the Democrat and Republican Party
primaries, at great cost to the taxpayer.
The Bible almost always treats party-spirit or partisanship
with disapproval. In I Cor. 1:10-13 Paul condemns the Corinthians
party-spirit, which they seem to have picked up from Greek
political philosophy. Paul links their party spirit to pride, selfishness,
and a denial of grace. Paul's corrective to the Corinthians
included using the term "Christ" (denoting Jesus as Messiah and
King) ten times in the first ten verses of this epistle. All political
parties in Oregon deny what the Reformers used to call "The
Crown Rights of King Jesus." As such, these parties are all prideful,
engage in vain-glory, and end up using sinful rhetoric and produce
not peace but contention.
From a pragmatic perspective, the two party system has done
little to stop a continual drift to an ever more left-ward course.
When the crown rights of Jesus are rejected, a port-side list to the
ship of state seems inevitable. Add to this the fact that the Bible
stresses personal character qualifications for elected officials (Ex.
18:21; Dt. 1:13; Acts 6:3) rather than issue orientation and one
feels strongly inclined to support this Measure.
Negative Considerations
But when a ballot measure advocates such a radical change,
caution is appropriate. This is particularly true when the proposed
change is the way we elect those who will govern many aspects
of our lives. The law of unintended consequences cannot always be
avoided. But in this case, we can watch and learn from Washington
State, which has adopted a similar system.
Along these lines, it should be noted that liberals and progressives
are generally touting these sorts of changes in primaries. In California
a similar system was used by Democrats to erode conservative
influence in their Legislature. The Washington state system
was passed into law by a heavily Democratic Legislature. And
Oregon's Measure is being touted by some prominent progressives
and leftists, typically no friends of the Christian voter.
We are admonished to be wise as serpents and harmless
as doves (Mt. 10:16). It seems the course of wisdom and safety is to
vote No on this Measure. But we should also commit to step boldly
and loudly into conversations and dialogue about the folly of our present
secular two party system.
This voters' guide produced by Parents Education Association, PAC.
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