It’s more comfortable to let voters pick the candidates

As a rule, we like "open." "Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at." The "open society." Open conventions and open doors.

The state Constitution even ensures an "open primary" system, stating "no person shall be required to declare a party preference or nonpartisanship as a condition of voting in any primary or special primary election. Secrecy of voting and choice of political party affiliation or nonpartisanship shall be preserved."

Not all Democrats, however, are that comfortable with "open primaries." The last five years have seen repeated attempts to close the primaries to only registered members of the various political parties.

Advocates of a closed primary say primary elections are for members of a political party to select candidates for the general election; therefore, only members of the party should vote in the primary.

Although Democrats even included the call for a closed primary as a platform plank, the needed constitutional amendment proposal has never been brought back before the voters.

Failing to regulate who can vote in a party primary, Democratic Party activists have instead tried to limit who can run as a Democrat.

This year’s cause célèbre is Laura Thielen, the former state land and natural resources director under GOP Gov. Linda Lingle, who although she professes to be a life-long Democrat never actually took out a party card until this year.

When she signed up to run as a Democrat in the Windward Oahu primary against incumbent state Sen. Pohai Ryan, Thielen’s status was challenged by the party.

There were a lot of technicalities involved, charges that Thielen’s party membership application was too late, that she didn’t pass muster in the appeals process and that the party didn’t approve her membership.

Still, Thielen filed to run as a Democrat, and the Democratic Party grumbled but did not fight.

Now party leaders, who are not exactly channeling Solomon in their wise actions, are mulling over how they can expel or reprimand Thielen.

On the party level, the fight is just another fight in the sandbox. In the broader scheme, there is much to cause concern.

Chuck Freedman, the longtime Democratic Party worker, quit his position as communication director with the state party because of the nonsense.

"I am more interested in battles between Democrats and Republicans than battles between Democrats," Freedman said.

"I felt uncomfortable not being able to defend this continuing battle," Freedman said.

Yes, when your own public relations fellow can’t back you up, you might want to reconsider your strategy.

The important part is who is going to do the picking: the people or the fellows in the backroom.

Under a closed primary system, the party members vote, but in the system now with candidates having to get the nod from the Democratic Central Committee before they can get an exemption to run, the party can easily hand-select candidates.

And in cases such as the Thielen primary, there is already an incumbent Democrat, who would be challenged by a well-known community member.

Thielen reports that when she goes campaigning door to door, some old-time Democrats recall that the party was founded by AJA veterans who returned from World War II only to find that the Republican Party and Hawaii’s white business class was closed to them.

"Japanese were excluded from politics; Jack Burns organized the modern Democratic Party within groups that were inclusive," Thielen said voters reminded her.

It is one thing for Democrats to continue with their internal party squabbling, but to let the folks in the backroom hand-pick the candidates doesn’t appear to show much confidence in the voters or the foundations of a democracy.

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Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.