Scrap the primaries

[dtotire]

I believe that the primary system should be scrapped and we return to the previous system where the candidate for President was nominated by unpledged delegates. Eliminating the direct primary would lessen demagoguery and mitigate the influence of big money. The money that is required to run a primary distorts the entire process and prevents many highly qualified people from being considered.

I feel that professional politicians could do as good as or better in selecting a candidate than the average voter. The writers of the Constitution specified that the President be chosen by unpledged electors, to prevent demagogues being elected. Unfortunately they did not specify how the electors were to be chosen.

If we return to the previous system, several people could be considered, and the delegates would select whom they felt had the best qualifications and electable. The public would make the final decision. I would propose that the delegates to party conventions be limited to those who are holding or have held higher elective office. Generally, most politicians holding elective office are above average in intelligence, and would make better decisions than the average voter. It would significantly shorten the election process.

[lapfog_1]

1. Rule by the elites, always and forever. - n/t

[Kashka-Kat]

2. what I don't get is why not have all primaries on one day & then let the brokering begin based on

who's got what delegates and what kind of deals can be made. It would let us ALL have a fair crack at all the candidates (unless I'm misreading, your way doesn't really let Jane Q. Public have much of a say) and then those of us who are for the Kucinich and Edwards type candidates would have a much stronger hand in the final outcome as we'd have more delegates whose views would have to be incorporated into the final party platform.

I do agree that this torturuously long media circus that we've now got is totally disfunctional.

[billyskank]

3. Just poll all the members by mail.

That's how political parties elect their leaders in the UK. It's a lot less drama. The drama should be in the general election.

[dtotire]

4. I am afraid we will lose the election

Previous polls showed that a generic Democrat would win easily over any Republican. Instead, one of the candidates has is disliked by a large segment of voters; the other, while charismatic, will be seen by many as extremely lacking in experience. We have had several highly qualified candidates drop out of running due to lack of money--Joe Biden, Richardson, and now John Edwards. Any of them could easily defeat any Republican. The primary system seems to generate demogoguery by every candidate. This is not in our best interests.