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BlueCheese

(2,522 posts)
33. Your question is more properly, "Who should pick party nominees?"
Fri Dec 11, 2015, 06:39 PM
Dec 2015

After all, the people do choose the president in the general election.

The major parties in the US are rare in that for the most part, they allow their rank and file to choose their nominees at the national level. My sense is that in many other countries, parties choose their leaders in closed-door sessions. In fact, in the US, it's not just the rank and file, but their self-identified rank and file. You don't have to pay anything, such as party membership dues, to have a voice.

Having said that, no, it's not entirely democratic. The party leaders (members of the DNC, elected officials) have outsized influence. Some states have ridiculous caucus systems that limit turnout. Early states have way more impact than later ones-- Iowa and New Hampshire are more important than California and Texas. And yes, party leadership can make rules that help one candidate or another.

I always count who has the most endorsements and vote accordingly, dont you? reformist2 Dec 2015 #1
Haha. No. But I believe it shows the party as unified with the goal of getting one person elected. PoliticalMalcontent Dec 2015 #3
hilllaryous! artislife Dec 2015 #39
LOL jwirr Dec 2015 #41
The Constitution says Electors--ay, that's the rub. merrily Dec 2015 #2
Just got an email from Democracy for America - I voted in their online poll. For Bernie. djean111 Dec 2015 #4
All three candidates are soliciting via the DFA poll. MeNMyVolt Dec 2015 #8
I will do as I please. Stop giving orders. djean111 Dec 2015 #11
You consistently post anti-democratic party thoughts all the time. MeNMyVolt Dec 2015 #13
Living here in Florida, and seeing DWS back her GOP buddies has given me a pretty good idea djean111 Dec 2015 #17
Jean, I've been reading posts here since '03. Check my profile. MeNMyVolt Dec 2015 #21
Currently, the party is oozing to the Right. You know that. djean111 Dec 2015 #24
I have lived in fla all my live and DWS is not stopping any liberals from doing anything FloridaBlues Dec 2015 #28
So the story that she supported to R candidates against jwirr Dec 2015 #42
It's a computer program for raising money upaloopa Dec 2015 #27
The Party is behaving in an "anti-Democratic Way". bvar22 Dec 2015 #31
They don't like it that you have a mind of your own. artislife Dec 2015 #40
if the rnc brokjers their convention DonCoquixote Dec 2015 #5
I do think the parliamentary system is superior to the US Constitution. Cali_Democrat Dec 2015 #37
Denial is not a river in Egypt upaloopa Dec 2015 #6
How do you explain why Bernie is leading in NH? Careful, now... reformist2 Dec 2015 #10
1.3 M (0.4% of the US population) is "some people"...just not a lot. brooklynite Dec 2015 #14
So we're going with the "deny the premise" option. Very well. We'll discuss this again in Feb. reformist2 Dec 2015 #16
Indeed we will...FWIW, I give him a 40% chance of winning NH... brooklynite Dec 2015 #19
Because it is small mostly White and next to Vermont upaloopa Dec 2015 #25
Well, America is mostly white. And "close to Vermont" implies something... reformist2 Dec 2015 #26
The Establishment Democrats- ruffburr Dec 2015 #7
12 step programs teach you not to "should on yourself" because it is messy randys1 Dec 2015 #9
I was under the impression we had Primary elections next year...were they cancelled? brooklynite Dec 2015 #12
My disappointment stems from so many endorsements coming before the first debate. PoliticalMalcontent Dec 2015 #15
Hmm... how could a US Senator know anything about another former US Senator and a former SOS??? brooklynite Dec 2015 #18
Bernie is not very popular in Washington upaloopa Dec 2015 #29
Obviously the people and so the person who wins the most primaries and caucuses book_worm Dec 2015 #20
Does the lack of debates compared to 2008 concern you? It does me, regardless of choice of candidate PoliticalMalcontent Dec 2015 #22
20+ debates is too many. BlueCheese Dec 2015 #34
The People Angry Dragon Dec 2015 #23
First, the DNC committee and Chairperson should be selected by a Democrat and this has happened. Thinkingabout Dec 2015 #30
More debates is better on principle. I want people to be informed regardless of who they choose. PoliticalMalcontent Dec 2015 #32
Yes, some would like to see a Clown Car, I do not see any reason to compete with Thinkingabout Dec 2015 #35
You're right. We should just fall in line and vote Hillary because she was chosen by party leaders. PoliticalMalcontent Dec 2015 #36
No, she is running as a candidate in the DNC and if she gets the major amount of Thinkingabout Dec 2015 #43
Your question is more properly, "Who should pick party nominees?" BlueCheese Dec 2015 #33
Duly noted. PoliticalMalcontent Dec 2015 #38
Me. Nt NCTraveler Dec 2015 #44
Scoop Jackson and Jeane Kirkpatrick's faction of the Dems started out in 1972 after they said that MisterP Dec 2015 #45
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