Reply #1: I believe we need rotating, regional primaries. . .

[Journeyman]

Divide the nation into six geographic regions. Hold primaries on a rotating basis among the regions. This way, every region in the nation will vote first every 24 years, but vote in the first three primaries at least half the time. And no more would be dependent on the leanings and beliefs of a select group who have an inordinate influence on the process.

Hold a primary every two weeks, beginning in mid-March and going through mid-June. Because the primaries would be regional, travel, advertising, and organizational money would be concentrated in a specific area, keeping costs down. As an entire region would vote as a block, the candidates would need to address local issues, instead of national "platitudes" and useless generalizations. As an example, each candidate would have to address issues of water within the watershed of the primary, would have to focus on the type of jobs and industries prevalent in that land, would have to recognize the problems and concerns of the people in a select area and not hide behind meaningless mumblings.

Yeah, that's the way I'd do it, if I ran the circus.