Martin Skladany wrote in March (and his argument is just as strong now):

Democrats’ instinct after winning the White House and Congress in 2020 might be to stand back and let the Republican Party slowly self-destruct. Such inaction would not necessarily preserve democracy. A Trumpist GOP would continue to win elections, maintain power over certain states, and could regain control of the Senate or House in 2022.

The responsibility of saving the Republican Party — and the rule of law — has been thrust not onto principled Republicans alone, but also Democrats and independents. To do so, they must contend with a primary system that easily could end the political careers of the Republicans who crossed Donald Trump in defending the 2020 elections, such as Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Democrats and independents need to cross over and vote in Republican primary elections. Such “reverse primarying” could ensure that the general election at least would be a choice between candidates who believe in the sanctity of elections and good governance.

Raiding a party’s primary is typically done to scupper a rival party in the general election by voting for their more extreme candidate. I propose the opposite: increasing a moderate Republican’s chances by cutting the far right off at the knees. Nearly 60 percent of GOP voters want Trump to keep playing a major role in the party. Eradicating the danger of extremism will require more than focusing on voter registration and increasing turnout. Non-Republicans need to “primary from across the aisle,” and do it nationally. [Continue reading…]