Inching Towards Extremes

Cathy Allen tells the Seattle P.I. that she expects the new top-two primary to have a moderating effect on the electorate. In fact, the effect will be exactly the opposite. In heavily Democratic Seattle, the top two candidates will both be Democrats, and the turnout will be younger and more strongly attached to liberal ideals. The presidential race will push moderate liberals towards the wings, as people toe closer to the party lines. And the very structure of a top-two primary encourages extremism, by allowing people to vote first for their conscience (which in Seattle is as liberal as you can get) and then, if your liberal-est choice doesn't make it to the top two, then you get to vote again for the second-most certifiably liberal. The candidates compete for who can be the most liberal, and in the end the entire electorate moves towards the extremes.