Quote of note:

Lawmakers said they wanted to stop that initiative from demolishing the existing system's guarantee that general elections include candidates with stark political differences.

"It's not a bug, it's a feature."

Anyway…

Legislators Unite to Derail Primary Initiative
Both sides push an alternative to the ballot measure, which would replace party primaries with one open to all.
By Jordan Rau
Times Staff Writer

June 22, 2004

SACRAMENTO — United in their desire to preserve the power of political parties, Democrat and Republican legislators moved Monday to undermine an upcoming ballot initiative that would abolish primary elections as they are now practiced.

In a twist that brought charges of disgraceful and sneaky behavior, they not only offered a competing measure but fused it with a potentially popular proposal to reduce state debt.

"It's a very cynical, calculated strategy," said Kevin Spillane, a consultant to the campaign that in May placed on the Nov. 2 ballot an initiative called the Voter Choice Open Primary Act.

That initiative would replace the current system of party primaries with one primary election open to all candidates and voters. The two candidates who won the most votes would then fight it out in a general election. Presidential elections as well as those for political party posts would be exempted.

The proposed constitutional revision now racing through the Legislature, however, would require that any political party that held a primary be allowed to field its top vote-earning candidate in the general election. Backers openly admitted that that language, if added to the state Constitution, would contradict the Voter Choice initiative on the ballot.