IN MY OPINION

If the Nielsen Ratings applied to politics like they do to television, the Oregon Legislature would never have a second season. Just take a look at the ratings that Oregonians give the Legislature according to a recent poll: 62 percent think Oregon legislators are doing a poor job. 58 percent agree that partisan politics has gotten out of hand. Only 35 percent think that Oregon is "headed in the right direction."

Why such a jaundiced view of legislators? After all, they are well-intentioned individuals who give up their family life to try to solve almost intractable problems.

Many of their accomplishments are notable. Nevertheless, from where I sit, a block from the Capitol in Salem, I see many opportunities lost. House Speaker Karen Minnis' and the governor's education stability plans were abandoned. Health-care costs will rise, and workers will lose insurance because of newly mandated coverages. And job creation through tax reform or by providing tax incentives to meet tough new environmental requirements died in the Senate.

Sadly, good legislation often is killed because it is sponsored by someone from the "wrong" party. And legislators often decide during secret party meetings, or caucuses, which bills will pass based on how they may be used at the next election. These partisan decisions kill progressive legislation.

Partisanship is rooted in Oregon's election process. Only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary and likewise for the Democrats. Independent and nonaffiliated voters, 25 percent of the electorate, are effectively disenfranchised.

Since most legislative districts are no longer competitive because of lopsided party registration, whoever wins the primary for the local majority party wins the general election by default. This makes partisanship the focus of the entire campaign.

Worse, in a primary with the vote split among numerous candidates, someone with a small hard-core following can win with a slight plurality and be assured of a general election win even if the candidate is not representative of the district. This works against the election of moderates and inevitably increases polarization.

So it's no surprise that almost one in three eligible Oregonians does not bother to register. Or that among registered voters younger than 36, "none of the above" is a more popular category than either Democrat or Republican. Or that primary election turnout typically is less than 50 percent.

Fortunately, there is a solution: the open primary. Unlike other government reforms that have weakened the Legislature and made it more partisan, an open primary would expand the pool of voters and enable independents to participate.

In an open primary, candidates would run as individuals, not as party members. After the primary, the top two candidates would have a runoff in the general election. This would focus the election on the individuals, not the letters after their names. It would assure that the voters have a real choice. A vocal minority couldn't control the final outcome. And it would ensure that a candidate's first allegiance is to his or her constituents, not destroying the other party.

This is how George Washington, described party politics: ". . . a fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume."

If Washington were to come back today, he would recognize a Legislature consumed by partisanship. He would recognize leaders devoted to the status quo who avoid taking stands that might hurt them in the next election.

It is time to ask our leaders to rise above their parties and do what is right for our state.

It is prime time to support an open primary.

Harvey Mathews is director of Associated Oregon Industries' Center for Citizen Leadership.