Comments on: Clinton Supporters Fail To Change Caucus Rules http://donklephant.com/2008/08/10/clinton-supporters-fail-to-change-caucus-rules/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:53:41 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: mike mcEachran http://donklephant.com/2008/08/10/clinton-supporters-fail-to-change-caucus-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-413114 mike mcEachran Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:30:06 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=6750#comment-413114 Agnostic, you've got the right plan, and Kranky, you've got the reason it'll never happen. Perfect. Agnostic, you’ve got the right plan, and Kranky, you’ve got the reason it’ll never happen. Perfect.

]]> By: Agnostick http://donklephant.com/2008/08/10/clinton-supporters-fail-to-change-caucus-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-413105 Agnostick Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:45:25 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=6750#comment-413105 1) Caucuses suck. The requirement that you have to show up at a certain place, at a certain time (usually a window of only an hour or so) is nothing more than a form of poll tax. 2) States should have the right to decide what works best for them <i>in the election of state officials</i>. <b>The presidential primary system should be wrenched from the clawing, child-like hands of the political parties and should be 100% under the control of the Federal Election Commission, and state secretaries of state (or whomever oversees the elections in a particular state).</b> The only role political parties should play in primary elections is the same role the rest of us play: show up at the voting booth! 3) I'm sick and fucking tired of Iowa and New Hampshire setting the tone for everything. Do they pay more in taxes than the other 48 states? Do they send more of their sons and daughters to war? Do they have more money? Better education? I'm tired of Kansas, Missouri, Texas and the other states taking a backseat to those two every four years! 100 days before the first primary, the names of all 50 states should be put in a box, and before a live audience, draw names out, two states for each Tuesday. Start primaries the last week of January; 26 weeks later, it's time for the conventions. Look at a calendar for yourself, this plan can work! Or, if nothing else, consider this: http://www.americanplan.org Agnostick agnostick@excite.com 1) Caucuses suck. The requirement that you have to show up at a certain place, at a certain time (usually a window of only an hour or so) is nothing more than a form of poll tax.

2) States should have the right to decide what works best for them in the election of state officials. The presidential primary system should be wrenched from the clawing, child-like hands of the political parties and should be 100% under the control of the Federal Election Commission, and state secretaries of state (or whomever oversees the elections in a particular state). The only role political parties should play in primary elections is the same role the rest of us play: show up at the voting booth!

3) I’m sick and fucking tired of Iowa and New Hampshire setting the tone for everything. Do they pay more in taxes than the other 48 states? Do they send more of their sons and daughters to war? Do they have more money? Better education? I’m tired of Kansas, Missouri, Texas and the other states taking a backseat to those two every four years! 100 days before the first primary, the names of all 50 states should be put in a box, and before a live audience, draw names out, two states for each Tuesday. Start primaries the last week of January; 26 weeks later, it’s time for the conventions. Look at a calendar for yourself, this plan can work!

Or, if nothing else, consider this:

http://www.americanplan.org

Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com

]]> By: kranky kritter http://donklephant.com/2008/08/10/clinton-supporters-fail-to-change-caucus-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-413089 kranky kritter Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:09:20 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=6750#comment-413089 I'd prefer to see all states have reasonably open primaries, not caucuses. And for the states to rotate the primary order so all the states got a chance to be one of the early states. I believe such chances would result in a more equitable system. So I take Hillary Clinton's support for some changes in this direction as a good thing, even though it would be foolish to think she is making this stand on principle as opposed to conenience. However, I am beyond skeptical when it comes to the likelihood of such changes occurring. I'm downright cynical on this issue, because such changes require insiders to vote to change the system to decrease insider influence. I don't think the state parties of caucus states will want to make any changes that will decease the influence of their party apparatus. And I expect the states that currently have early spots in the primary order will continue to cling to those spots like grim death. I'm slightly more sanguine on changes to this aspect of the nomination process, only because of the power of big state influence and thus the existence of competition. I’d prefer to see all states have reasonably open primaries, not caucuses. And for the states to rotate the primary order so all the states got a chance to be one of the early states. I believe such chances would result in a more equitable system.

So I take Hillary Clinton’s support for some changes in this direction as a good thing, even though it would be foolish to think she is making this stand on principle as opposed to conenience.

However, I am beyond skeptical when it comes to the likelihood of such changes occurring. I’m downright cynical on this issue, because such changes require insiders to vote to change the system to decrease insider influence. I don’t think the state parties of caucus states will want to make any changes that will decease the influence of their party apparatus.

And I expect the states that currently have early spots in the primary order will continue to cling to those spots like grim death. I’m slightly more sanguine on changes to this aspect of the nomination process, only because of the power of big state influence and thus the existence of competition.

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