Sensible Reforms We Should Make Now, But...

The Times' Joe Nocera

...who knows if we'll make them. However, Joe Nocera, NYT columnist offers some clear-eyed thinking about how to be a better republic. And, boy, is there room for improvement:

• Move elections to the weekend.
• Term limits for the Supreme Court.
• Open primaries.
• End gerrymandering.
• Bring back the small donor.

I thought I liked lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court, but Nocera's right: It encourages nominating the youngest, stealthiest candidate a president can find; then the country lives or dies by it for decades. And, yes, it leads to a form of agism. Why not be able to appoint short-term wisdom instead of always going for the long-term, high-stakes political game?

When California went to the open-primary system, I was uncomfortable with it. Nocera points out that open primaries might prevent extremists like the tea party candidates from wagging the dog so much. Republicans will nominate more moderates if an internecine fight looks to knock them out altogether. That's already happened in CA.

These reforms can start on the local or state level. Why not get started?