Open Primaries, Constitutional Challenges, and the Socialism Debate

On this Tuesday, September 5, 2023 broadcast, Kim Monson examines Colorado’s controversial open primary system with former State Senator Kevin Lundberg, who details a federal lawsuit challenging Proposition 108 as unconstitutional. In Hour 2, Producer Luke Cashman returns for a wide-ranging discussion on socialism, capitalism, and the passing of billionaire musician Jimmy Buffett.

Constitutional Challenge to Open Primaries

Start listening at 27:13 – Hour 1

Kevin Lundberg breaks down the legal battle against Colorado’s open primary system, which allows unaffiliated voters to participate in party primaries. The Colorado Republican Party filed suit in federal court on July 31, 2023, arguing the law violates constitutional protections for private associations. Lundberg chairs the party’s Lawsuits and Legal Affairs Committee and reports they have raised nearly $50,000 through the Claremont Institute’s Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence.

The former state senator explains that Proposition 108 set an impossibly high bar for parties to opt out, requiring 75 percent of the entire central committee to vote in favor, not just those present. He points to a 2000 U.S. Supreme Court decision from California that ruled political parties cannot be forced into open primary systems. The Central Committee will vote again on opting out on September 30th, though Lundberg acknowledges the threshold remains nearly impossible to meet.

Lundberg argues the open primary system was designed to weaken political parties and hand power to wealthy individuals who can fund campaigns independently. He notes that Republican-dominated counties voted against Prop 108, but Democrat-heavy areas pushed it over the top with nearly $5.3 million in support versus only $71,000 in opposition.

“The United States Supreme Court back in 2000, actually, because of a similar case brought before it from California, they agreed you cannot force a political party into an open primary system.”

Kevin Lundberg, Former Colorado State Senator

The Socialism and Capitalism Debate

Start listening at 57:56 – Hour 2

Luke Cashman, Producer Luke, returns to share perspectives from his generation on economic systems and taxation. The discussion begins with Jimmy Buffett’s passing and his billion-dollar Margaritaville empire, which Monson holds up as an example of American entrepreneurial success. Cashman channels views from his peers, noting that many young people who lean socialist actually oppose inheritance taxes and do not advocate for artificial caps on wealth.

The central point of contention emerges around tax fairness. Cashman argues that billionaires effectively pay near-zero federal taxes through teams of lawyers exploiting loopholes, while working-class Americans pay 18 percent of their income. Monson agrees, criticizing the 70,000-page tax code that enables this disparity. Both find common ground that the system allows rules for the wealthy that ordinary citizens cannot access.

Cashman pushes back on conflating socialism with communism or Marxism, just as he asks capitalists not to be labeled as cronyists or fascists. He argues both sides ultimately want fair systems but differ on whether more regulation or less will achieve that goal. The segment generates heated caller response, with listeners challenging Luke’s characterization while others engage substantively with his points about equal application of laws.

“I myself do not identify as a socialist. I’m merely the mouthpiece for a lot of my friends and associates who do feel this way.”

Luke Cashman, Producer