Several years ago, a woman, who would later become the first female governor of Oregon, snapped at my observation that politics would be better off without political parties.  People should vote directly for candidates without needing approval from an “old boy” network, I said. 

I made a comment on Face book the other day about closed primaries.  I don’t understand why people are so exorcised about them. The system isn’t new, having been practiced for decades.  Folks who want to participate in a primary register with the party of their choice and vote.