General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: many here have stated they will not vote for Hillary [View all]Journeyman
(15,437 posts)17 primaries will have already been held in 40 states. The decision will have been made long before the parade makes it here.
The decision will have been made for me by the good people in the likes of places such as Iowa, Utah, South & North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Florida, Missouri, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Arkansas.
Yeah. Like I have a voice in the decision. Totally worthless process so far as I'm concerned.
So really, the decision has fuck all to do with me and my beliefs. Unless I want to give money. Which places me in the odd position of looking at Citizens United with a slightly jaundiced view -- adamantly opposed to the concept, regrettably convinced it's the sole option open for people in this State to have an impact.
Tell me that doesn't suck hind wind.
* * *
So the Democratic Primary process bypasses ME. Regardless the candidate, the process itself is stacked against us here in the "Golden State."
Instead of the present, flawed process, where people in Iowa of all places have a disproportionate influence on who leaves the race early and who's seen as a "frontrunner," I favor dividing the nation into 6 electoral districts instead and the choice of which district should vote first would rotate among them, so every 24 years each of us would have an opportunity to vote first in the Presidential primary.
All states in an electoral district would have their primaries on the same day. This way, campaigns would focus on a select geographic region -- costs would be lower, there wouldn't be as much travel required, and the media buys would be more focused as well, since neighboring states would be addressed at the same time.
There'd be the added benefit that citizens of each district could expect (indeed, demand) that politicians address the regional issues of their concern as well as the national issues, thereby denying the candidates the opportunity to hide behind national platitudes instead of answering specific questions important to a select electorate.
If the primaries were held every 3 weeks, the primary season could be over in some 3 to 4 months, which might help focus every voter's attention earlier in the process.
But it'll probably never happen. Too many vested interests with too much at stake in the present, crippled system.