Thou Shalt Reap what Thy Sow

One of the most fascinating aspects of this year's primary season has been, particularly on the Republican side but to a degree with the Democrats as well (right, Arlen Specter?) has been the tide of 'outsiders' which has become a major story within many of the races. These folks, presumably waifs in the political arena with no real sense of what makes government tick, have upset the apple cart. The question is, what does it all mean?

That question we shall not answer here. November 2nd shall answer it well enough, at least for the current election cycle. More interesting, perhaps, are the lamentations arising from the party regulars. All of those beyond the beltway do-gooders are interfering with their ability to do good. When some tea party maverick knocks a respectable Republican from his seat or prevents someone with the imprimatur of the GOP from getting their shot at the big time, why, they don't understand the game. The establishment is where the good of the people resides, not in mere citizens deciding helter skelter who gets what prize.

But isn't that what's democracy is all about? Aren't we supposed to be able to vote for whom we want? Not only that, isn't this very series of elections a reflection of what exactly the parties have devolved into in the last few decades? With virtually open primaries (not everywhere, perhaps, but very, very frequently) why should Democrats and Republicans be shocked when they find those loathsome outsiders entering their primaries and caucuses and knocking off the anointed candidates? Especially as it has been the political parties acting through the agency of government which have forced open the smoke filled rooms of yore, when parties actually picked their own people to run for the various offices?

The most delicious irony around all this blather is that we actually support smoke filled rooms. Political parties are essentially private entities; they should be able to select for and by themselves who represents them, without public input. Though the electors have the right to freely choose among the candidates for a public office whom they like, the general population does not have the right to pick who runs as a Republican or Democrat. Republicans and Democrats have that right. If you want to have a say in that part of the process, then become an active Republican or Democrat.

Still, that is not how it is done in 2010, to the chagrin of the party elites. To that, we shall only smile and wave. They have done it to themselves.