MALDONADO REGRETS JUNGLE PRIMARY? SHOCKER! NEXT: MAN REGRETS INHALING OWN FART

It seems former State Senator Abel Maldonado is lamenting the electoral Frankenstein's monster he helped unleash upon California over a decade ago. The Santa Barbara Independent reports that the 'father' of the state's notorious 'jungle primary' system now confesses to 'regretting' his little experiment, which essentially funnels all voters down a narrow drainpipe of two candidates, regardless of party affiliation. Who could have foreseen that removing voter choice and handing more power to the establishment would backfire? Certainly not the brilliant minds in Sacramento!

Maldonado’s mea culpa, if you can call it that, comes approximately 16 years, countless squandered local races, and zero meaningful improvements to voter engagement after the disastrous 'reform' was enacted. It's almost as if taking away the ability for parties to properly vet and select their candidates, and instead forcing them to compete in a popularity contest where money and name recognition trump principle, was a bad idea. Democrats, of course, loved it – fewer competitive races mean less thinking for the electorate, which suits their brand of governance just fine. It was pitched as a moderate solution to 'bridge divides,' which in California-speak means 'ensure we only have two flavors of progressive to choose from on the general election ballot.'

The real angle the other outlets missed? This system has been a boon for special interests and the super-rich who can afford to play in a consolidated field. Smaller parties, grassroots movements, and legitimate conservative voices are utterly suffocated under the weight of this 'top-two' tyranny. Maldonado's regret is too little, too late for the millions of Californians whose voting power has been diluted, whose choices have been curtailed, and whose elections, particularly in places like Santa Barbara County, have become little more than coronation ceremonies for the anointed few. It’s a sad testament to how easily well-meaning (or perhaps just naive) politicians can fundamentally alter the democratic process for the worse, then shrug their shoulders a decade later. Meanwhile, taxpayers are left with the bill and fewer actual choices.