Bad Arguments From Famous People

Here Stanley Fish argues against people who register as Independent when they vote. He reasons that everyone should have a preference for a party because the President appoints so many government workers. These appointments, he says, are quite important.

Unfortunately for Fish, Independent voters can still vote in presidential elections. They only lose out on primary elections in some states. Unless different candidates within the same party appoint different types of people to Federal posts, Independent voters have no less of a say in appointing Federal workers than anyone else.

What Fish should be arguing against is the sentiment that both major political parties are the same. Now this is an argument that I can get behind. There are major differences between Democratic and Republican appointees. Do you think the EPA should be actively hampering efforts by individual states to improve fuel efficiency? Do you think that officials going to work in Iraq should be asked their opinion on the proper legal status of abortion?

If you care one way or another you have an incentive to vote. But you don't have much incentive to register for a party and vote in a primary. In fact, this is one area in which candidates from the same party would have little to distinguish themselves.