Why Even Go Through This Primary Process?.....

[global1]

No matter what the polls say (i.e., Trump is in the lead significantly or Bernie surpasses Hillary in Iowa) when the cable news shows discuss this the pundits keep making excuses for Jeb and Hillary - the so-called presumptive candidates.

It is obvious that TPTB want those two candidates (Jeb & Hillary) running in the general election. So no matter what any of the other candidates do - the discussion always comes back to Jeb & Hillary and how either the polls are outliers; or it's really too early in the process to take these seriously; or Trump will fade away; or Bernie isn't a serious candidate; etc - and that Jeb & Hillary will rebound back.

Looking at the polls - it seems clear that the American People are fed up with the status quo and are looking to non-presumptive candidates to be their nominee - but it seems like neither the Repug or Dem Parties will have that. They aren't getting the message and they are resorting to force feeding the American People with the same old - same old.

If that be the case and they made their decisions that these are the two that will face off in the General Election of 2016 - why are we even going through the motions of having primaries?

[djean111]

1. If it turns out that this primary season is just "going through the motions", then I

predict a totally flat and uninspiring General Election campaign and turnout. Which, i think, is what the GOP and DNC really want.

If it looks like one warmonger against another warmonger, I will be looking for ways to just leave.

[cali]

2. there is that. I refer to the dem primary as a Potemkin Village

To answer your question, I suppose one could say we cherish the ideal or illusion of democracy, despite the facts that indicate how broken our system is. I'm not at all convinced that the powers that be in the republican party are as strongly behind Jeb as their counterparts in the democratic party are behind Hillary, but the powers in both parties are vehemently opposed to the insurgents in the respective primary races.