Free Parties

During the speeches, I sat behind two girls who decided to switch from Democrat to Republican for the night because Ron Paul’s ideology and political program captivated them so much — that’s what one of my friends who lives in Iowa told me one morning during the primary.

The girls were neither members of the Democratic nor Republican Party; they were students who, based on the laws of Iowa, could participate in the electoral process after filling out their electoral registration form. Indirectly, they even had a say in what direction the party should take and what policies it should pursue. Since the 1960s, the process of electing their own candidates is not handled by each of the two major parties’ leadership, but is completely decentralized. The politician who collects the appropriate amount of support from delegates automatically becomes the candidate. The decision about who Obama’s challenger will be is not decided behind closed doors, but in the voting booths and electoral meetings of each and every state.

The decision that was reached on Wednesday morning, Hungarian time, decided for the Republicans what direction they should take next; the party has lost itself ever since the last elections.

The top three candidates demonstrate the political puzzle quite well. Mitt Romney is the candidate of the party’s Washington elite. He wants a smaller state and tax cuts, but his views about abortion and gay rights are too moderate for his party’s right wing. That is why they backed ex-Senator Rick Santorum, who emerged in 2009 during the tea party movement and only received eight votes less than Romney did. Moreover, he achieved this with a minimal amount of money, traveling around the country with only one driver by his side.

To many people’s surprise, Ron Paul came in third, showing that the Republicans should take into consideration those young voters who favor cutting down the government’s role and budget, eliminating the Federal Reserve, decriminalizing drugs and ending military interventions immediately.

Of course, it is not as if anyone can become president in the states: Sufficient political background and experience is needed, and without the support of the media, it’s not even worth getting started. Though the system is not perfect, it is clear that one political wing or powerful politician cannot seize power on either of the big American parties – that is, if the voters do not want them to.