If you want to see how corporations would run elections so as to be free of human interference, look at the Commonwealth of Virginia and how the two “major” political parties have opted for two different ways to nominate candidates for Governor, Lieutenant and Attorney General.

Democratic Party candidates are on primary ballots. Voting started April 23 and on June 8 is in-person voting. A voter is not required to show proof of, or declare loyalty to, a political party to vote in that party’s primary. The primary is “open.” The GOP runs things differently.

This past weekend 50,000 Republicans were qualified to cast, many in a drive-by process, votes as delegates in a kind of convention. In November trump was the choice of 1,962,430, voters in Virginia (half-a-million fewer than President Biden’s total).

This country evolved from 13 States in which only about seven percent (7%) of adults had the right to vote. Only white, male landowners who were not Jewish, Islamic or (in many places) Roman Catholic could vote. Indigenous peoples were not considered people.

In 1920 women got the right to vote. (Amend XIX). Civil War ended slavery, but in 156 years since former slaves’ descendants have died for the right to vote. In 1913 United States Senators became elected by popular vote (Amend XVII).

I wrote yesterday, the Rs and Ds are not-for-profit corporations whose stock you cannot buy. They “‘have built themselves virtually impenetrable barriers against challenge by new parties.’” Black, “Developments in the State Regulation of Major and Minor Political Parties,” 82 Cornell LRev 109 (1996).

Tonight, 9 p.m., John Schmitz hosts a discussion of “The 2-Party Hangover” on his FB podcast “Mouthwash.” He invited me and Andrew Horning, former Libertarian candidate U.S. House & U.S. Senate. This should - no, will - be fun. Tune in.