No primary day for reporters

Almost any day is a good time to be a reporter, except today, which is when primaries are held in New York.

By tradition at many papers and by rule at some, reporters don't join political parties. I mean, what could be worse than nailing some venal politician in some scam only to have him or her say that what do you expect, the guy or gal who wrote this is a member of the opposition party? It would weaken the credibility of the story.

The downside of not being enrolled in a party in New York is you don't get to vote in primaries, and when one party is in control of so many things, the primary is tantamount to election (think Albany mayor).

There is also a primary this year that interests me a lot locally - two town supervisor candidates, one Democrat and one Republican, vying for the Independence Party nomination to get a leg up in the November general election by getting another party line on the ballot. But since I'm not enrolled in the Independence Party, I can't participate.

The Independence line in New York is partly a scam, since a lot of people don't know the difference between being an independent (not enrolled in a party) and being a member of the Independence Party (Think Ross Perot and Tom Golisano). Candidates rightly figure that any form of the word close to their name one election day is a plus, especially now when both major parties seem to be in disrepute.

Part of the problem is New York law, which set rules about registering to vote and enrolling in a party that are complicated on purpose to discourage many from casting ballots. It's one reason a huge upset like Jesse Ventura's election as governor of Minnesota (driven largely by voters who registered on election day) don't happen in New York, where voters have to register far in advance of elections.

Some states allow unenrolled voters to cast ballots in party primaries, but not in New York. So reporters and others who shun political parties essentially have others decide for them which candidates will be on the general-election ballot in November.

I'll have more to say about why anybody would put up with this later.

Meanwhile, we are mourning the passing of Patrick Swayze of "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost'' fame at age 57 yesterday from pancreatic cancer. His illness was not diagnosed until it was far advanced, but he kept working and surprised doctors by surviving almost two years. He was a good role model for others who suffer from the disease.