If primaries are only for club members

[SwampG8r]

Why in the hell.are my taxes paying for your exercise in political eclusion?
If they are only for members of the club then your club needs to.foot its own bills.
I dont want my taxes supporting your private club any more than i want to pay for the country club cotillian.

[Renew Deal]

1. Primaries and caucuses are our way of winnowing the field.

It's a clearer alternative than the European model.

It also is a state by state decision. Closed primaries are generally superior to open primaries. We pay for it because it is an investment in our republic.

Pick a side or sit it out. I don't care if you don't like it.

You can start your own club and make whatever rules you want.

[DURHAM D]

2. I assume you are aware that in caucus states the

party, not your taxes, foot the bill.

Also, in primary states just register to vote for the party you want to support. It just isn't that hard.

[Buzz Clik]

9. That's not the point. The point is complaining. About everything.

[KingFlorez]

3. I agree

If the process was more internal, Sanders would have never had a chance at all. Let's make the primary process total private and save taxpayers money.

[Renew Deal]

7. The irony is the undemocratic nature of the argument.

I wonder if they also support state legislatures picking US Senators because democracy is expensive.

[azmom]

10. It would actually be better than putting up

this charade. At least, it would be clear to all on who calls the shots. No more pretend voting. Keep it 100.

[JaneyVee]

4. So join a different party.

[Tarc]

5. So if I don't drive, can I protest my taxes going towards endless road construction?

You don't get to direct what your taxes go to, sport.

[onehandle]

6. Why the hell.are my taxes paying for VA Hospitals.

If they are only for members of the club then your club needs to.foot its own bills.
I dont want my taxes supporting your private club any more than i want to pay for the country club cotillian.

[Nye Bevan]

8. That's actually a reasonable question.

Say I start a brand new political party and come up with some way to enable the members of my new party to choose a presidential candidate. Why should I expect tax money to help my party run this process?

[TM99]

11. Arizona independents are challenging this

'private club' bullshit.

Some proposed responses are not taking tax dollars from independents for primaries, making the two parties pay for the primary in this state, and going to a completely open primary instead of our semi-closed one now.

The Democratic Party better hope for the last one and not the other two or there will be some serious changes coming down the road.

[onenote]

12. so should primaries be open, but only for people that pay taxes?

[SFnomad]

14. Everybody pays taxes ...

Even if it's just sales and property taxes.

[GulfCoast66]

13. It has gotten predictable

That all the Democratic Party hating posts align.

Now that a loss is certain the whole sour grapes thing is about how unfair it is to having to pay for your own defeat. Well, that is the system and has been for a long time now.

But I have good news if you feel this way. You can change it! Either work hard for a strong independent party and have them exert influence or join the Democratic Party and help make a difference.

Of course, many of the people now posting on DU may well feel more comfortable in the the party not yet mentioned.

[RobertEarl]

15. Indeed

"... many of the people now posting on DU may well feel more comfortable in the the (new) party..."

Indeed they might since this D party has made them feel unwanted. I guess a few posters on DU are quite happy that the D party has screwed over so many on the quest to get H selected. Are you one of those?

[GulfCoast66]

16. So now losing

Is now called screwed over?

And believe it or not, some of us here like both candidates and would be fine with either as our Nominee. But we have known the rules of the election from the get-go and anr not surprised that someone who has worked within the party for decades is defeating someone who joined the party recently only to use the party's infrastructure.

[Adrahil]

17. Anyone can join the club. You chose not to join. NT

[randome]

18. It's sort of like public financing of elections. Any party can get state funding. Duh.

I hear there's a bird sanctuary or two out West. Maybe you'd like to settle in there for a while.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]