The Champaign News-Gazette has a helpful article out today on the likely fate of Gov. Quinn's attempt -- via an amendatory veto -- to institute an "open primary" system in Illinois.  It includes this interesting, critical comment from University of Illinois political science professor Jim Nowlan:

"I'm a believer in the role of political parties as a way to organize support on behalf of a candidate who represents a particular philosophy or set of values, and that actions like this further weaken parties which are already gravely weakened."

He said a weakened political party "increases the capacity of the super-rich to dominate politics and diminishes the ability of a candidate who lacks wealth to develop a career in politics."

To learn more about Quinn's open primary proposal, check out our analysis.