Third-party dynamics

I find it amazing that after all of the recently published prose by John Jacobs and Dan
Walters about how the new "blanket" primary changes the game of politics in
California that The Bee's special election package May 24 would omit candidates
whose names appear on everyone's ballot, especially state Senate and Assembly
candidates who are not covered in either the voter pamphlet or the sample ballot
pamphlet.

The Bee is acting as if the party primary system still exists in California. The "blanket"
primary offers more than a win or lose race to the people of California. The "blanket"
primary offers the people an opportunity to vote for a candidate based solely on
ideology without the worry that their vote is wasted, or will help the other side win. It
is an opportunity for the voter to demonstrate that they like some of the third party
ideology. If a third party candidate wins just 5 percent of the vote, you can be sure
that the two major parties will be looking closely at, and probably adopting, his
issues. 

It is a shame that The Bee doesn't recognize the third party dynamics of a "blanket"
primary, and refuses to give the people of Sacramento what they really wanted from
the "blanket" primary system, new ideas injected into the the tired old debates
between the two major parties.

Gerald Klaas, Carmichael
Libertarian Candidate, Senate District 6