Latest Column from Frieda in Ahwatukee Foothills News - Lean to the Left

I'm posting the full content of Frieda's recent AFN article. Now I expect to hear some feedback from you folks about this. There's been lots of talk lately because of the completely partisan Presidential Preference election; independents had no voice in that election, and there've been cogent arguments on either side. Other states handle primaries differently from Arizona. What do you think about this?

As we headed into this week’s presidential primary, there was much debate about whether independent voters should have a voice in choosing the parties’ nominees. While changing the rules for future elections is an option, I think there’s a bigger issue at hand.
Since 1998 when independents were given the right to vote in Arizona primaries, voters started registering overwhelmingly as independents. In turn, we’ve seen our parties move toward the ideological extremes.

I have a suggestion for how you can help reverse this trend: Join a party and get involved.

If those who lean slightly left of center join the Democratic Party and those who lean slightly right of center sign up as Republicans, each party would benefit from greater diversity of opinions. These independent voices would bring fresh, new ideas and help moderate the views of each party. Then maybe the partisan gulf between us wouldn’t seem so far to bridge.

So here is my invitation to you, whether you are an independent, a casual Democrat or even a dissatisfied Republican: Come join us and be heard, not just on primary day, but every day.

Contact me at fpollack@finesword.com to learn about the many ways you can get involved, or visit www.d20dems.org. The next meeting of the District 20 Democrats is Feb. 11 at Native New Yorker, 5030 E. Ray Road with dinner at 6:30 and the meeting at 7 p.m.