Not voting? Then you can only blame yourself

National estimates say only 14 percent of registered voters show up for primaries. My guess is that you guys might be a bit more engaged…so let’s say 20 percent.

The problem, as I see it, is with so many “safe” seats and races, the primary is the only competitive election. We have been conditioned to think about general elections as “important,” but it seems the political parties figured out they can’t control the masses and would rather play to a smaller, more passionate crowd. In some cases, a few thousand votes TOTAL are cast in the primary!

The result?

By the time you — the average voter — gets engaged in the process in October, the candidates have already been chosen and the winner has been pre-determined by the “R” or “D” next to their name. We are only left to grumble about the choices, and many end up voting for the lesser of two evils.

But if we do not participate in the primaries, we have no one to blame but ourselves.