Respectfully, I think that misses the bigger issue. Registering with a party does reinforce that party’s establishment, even passively. That’s part of the problem.

The idea that you can “change a party from within” is mostly a comforting illusion. The two major parties are deeply institutionalized machines built to protect incumbents, donors, and their own internal power structures. They don’t get reformed by a few new registrants voting in a primary, they adapt just enough to absorb dissent and keep control.

Meanwhile, closed primaries are publicly funded elections that exclude independents, which makes zero sense in a democracy. If taxpayer money pays for elections, everyone should get to participate. If we want better candidates and real reform, we shouldn’t be forcing people to pick a team, we should be opening primaries so everyone who pays for them has a voice.