Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Apparently these practices occur all the time especially on official party websites where the public is led to believe their candidates are the only ones running. Statements such as: "meet the candidates" and "this website is updated every Monday from the FEC filings," are deliberate attempts to mislead party members and sway their votes toward the candidates they have chosen. Michaels believes these practices are deceptive and create an environment that smells terribly of unfair competition. Every candidate should have an equal opportunity to represent the party and this should be decided by the entire membership by the primary ballot.

In states where party nominees are chosen by a primary election, the party should not endorse or promote any one candidate over another, prior to that state's primary. It is the government's responsibility to determine who is a candidate and what party if any they represent.  In a democratic society such as ours, citizens are given the right to elect their representatives not just a few party elites.

Can various antitrust laws used to prevent anticompetitive practices and encourage unfettered competition be applied to political party's that promote unfair competitive tactics?  Michaels also believes there is great similarity between marketing a commercial product and running a political campaign.

These practices interfere with one of our most important constitutional rights, the right to vote.  To be sure they include the right to be informed of all the candidates, registered with a party, that are running for office?  Can one have an educated vote when parties continue to indulge in "back room, old boy's club" politics?  Can the voters' voice be heard when the parties loudly promote the status quo?  As a final comment; the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has long adopted the opinion that political parties are neither absolute nor comprehensive as to the rights enjoyed by wholly private associations.