Democracy is a messy process - lets go back to how they chose candidates originally....

[getagrip_already]

Oh wait......

In the first 2 presidential elections, candidates were chosen by the electoral college. There were no parties, no primaries, no conventions. The "people" didn't get to choose their future leaders; they only got to choose from two chosen for them.

It was one from column a, or one from column b. No substitutions.

In fact, there wasn't even such a thing as a national convention until the 1800's. Horse and buggy days with really, really, long distances on really bad paths. This is where caucuses came from.

We can do better. We can do a lot better. Dump the caucuses.

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. Caucuses are not expecially democratic and have a turnout rate of around 15%

[J_William_Ryan]

2. Agreed

But that's not going to happen.

[Recursion]

3. Honestly the past four years have made me sympathetic to smoke-filled rooms

Frankly at this point I think smoke-filled rooms have a lot going for them.

[getagrip_already]

4. well, at least let it be cannibis smoke....

I'd be ok with that over tobacco.....

(no, I don't smoke).

[floppyboo]

5. I like the core idea of caucuses, but obviously proportional ranked voting would be better.

Before the whole thing gets thrown out, I hope people would consider ranked voting as an improved substitute.