Elite politicians

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

One of the other editors beat me to writing the editorial this week, so in order not to duplicate effort, I’m going to discuss my thoughts about the recent precinct caucuses.

First, let me clearly say this: I don’t personally give a shit about Republican or Democratic caucuses. It’s the rare politician whom I trust anymore, and it’s the corrupt political party mechanism that allows the corruption of politicians and the dysfunction of politics.

I “let” certain of our writers cover the caucuses because shining lights into the dank and sweaty crevices of party politics is part of what we do, our mission, but I don’t believe for a second that one reader in 10 actually feels any different about caucuses than I do. And that perception is borne out by the number of people who actually caucused in Washoe County, about 6,700 people, or about 1.5 percent of the county’s residents.

And so, with the massive failure of the caucus system—although as Dennis points out, if you compare it to the Republican caucus numbers in 2000 or 2004, it’s a roaring success—the Republicans have announced their idea of fiscal responsibility: Since so few people care to caucus, they want to consider moving to a primary system for election years. In other words, instead of having the political party animals who do care about the results pay, they want the people who don’t care enough to participate, 97 percent of us, to pay for them.

If the parties want people to participate, they should open the caucuses to everyone. Democrats could participate in the Republican caucuses and visa versa. I offer my personal guarantee that the caucuses would be more fun for me, and bloodier for participants. I, as a non-partisan, could go to be informed, and maybe we as a state could figure out who should be the best candidates to run this country instead of who are simply the best party and church ideologues.