For those of us NOT in IA, NH, SC or NV

[ruggerson]

This is all essentially a spectator sport, until things shake out some more.

We don't get to vote until Feb 5 or thereafter.

I'd like to be able to vote for Biden, but will I even have that opportunity?

Or will citizens in other states, with different concerns from mine, essentially take that decision away from me?

I'm beginning to lean more and more towards a national primary day.

This disenfranchisement thing doesn't feel very democratic.

[acmavm]

1. Yeah, I'd prefer one day for a primary myself.

[LeftCoast]

2. Me too

One day for the whole country sometime after Aug. It's WAY too early now.

[skipos]

3. I am thinking about Biden too. A national primary would benefit candidate with money (Mitt)

machine (Clinton) and name recognition (9iu11iani). Other candidates would be at a huge disadvantage. However, if we rotated the states and had a group of states each week or so, it would allow those states to become more interested in the nomination process, and allow the little guy a shot.

[aquart]

4. Rotation? Love it. NEVER HAPPEN.

[iamjoy]

5. Early Primary Should Be A Reward

It should be a reward for voter turnout as percentage of voter turnout in the last presidential or off cycle election.

And, it shouldn't just be a special four and the rest fend for themselves. It should be tiers or levels. So, this way, a select few states get to go in January. Another half dozen go in February. Twenty or so in late March, early April and the rest after that.

Or, we should just have a national primary. The way it is now, a few states have a stay and the rest don't count. It doesn't necessarily give the smaller guy a shot 'cos the primaries are so front loaded anyway.

[bunnies]

9. a reward?

Not hardly. IMHO, its a punishment. Lest you think its enjoyable for early voters to read things like this OP. Not to mention the pressure that comes along with voting early... and wanting to do the right thing for the rest of the country.

[iamjoy]

22. Not A Bit Of Sympathy

I have absolutely no sympathy for people in early voting states - they should appreciate their fortune.

They get to invite candidates into their living rooms and really talk to them. They get to see them at cafes and state fairs. They get opportunities to meet the candidates before they are asked for a dime.

Come to another state and in order to see the candidate speak before what is often a large crowd, you are asked for a donation. Then, you are lucky if you can really see or hear. If you are really, really lucky you might get to shake the candidates hand on a rope line. Of course, if you have $2,000 you can really interact with the candidate - have a real conversation. You know, like people in Iowa and New Hampshire get to do for free.

Then, your state party gets into a pissing match with the DNC and you find our your primary may not even count because your stupid state legislature violates the DNC rules for primaries. So, you don't even get to see the candidates and get no acknowledgment for grass roots efforts.

Oh, the only sympathy I have for people in Iowa and New Hampshire is miserable winters.

[Retrograde]

6. Bring back the smoke-filled rooms

(smoke optional, of course, for the 21st century). I don't like the idea of primaries, especially with certain states feeling they have to be first no matter what. I think we got better candidates when the party conventions chose them. What's the point of having a party convention anyway, if the candidates are chosen in advance (besides spending taxpayer and party funds on convention centers, police, parties, etc.)?

[K Gardner]

7. To have a national primary really work, we'd have to have public funding

for ALL our candidates, period. No more MSM "shows" and Campaign Drama Wars. It'd have to be free air time to all candidates, true debates, true forums on policy and No Fucking Snowmen Asking Questions. Otherwise, the national primary would only elect the one with the most money.

[Tashca]

8. You are right

No way would a national primary work without public financing. Without public financing only a few with the most money would be heard. Not sure that is what we want. I am all for Public financing!!

[sandyd921]

10. How about a national caucus day?

I like the idea of a process in which members of the party come together to decide who their nominee will be. I think a caucus, which is generally closed to independents and spoiler-repukes, unlike many state primaries, better embodies that. I believe that the process should be about who the committed grassroots of the party want as their nominee.

[K Gardner]

11. I like that idea even better.. it would FORCE people to get involved and know the

issues instead of looking at it through MSM Corporate Eyes and popularity.

[ruggerson]

13. That's a very interesting idea

and would allay some of the fears about the big state/money thing.

[sandyd921]

16. That too!

n/t

[quinnox]

12. right on the money!

I'm in the West too and why are we always excluded from the big first contests?? We should count too! National rotating primary would be a lot better.

[Radical Activist]

14. No, its not a spectator sport. Go to those states and volunteer.

Its easy to make a difference in this election if you want to.

[ruggerson]

17. A lot of the electorate are not near any of those states

Most people would volunteer in their home state, if they were able to work around busy schedules of work, school, kids, etc.

But, it's unreasonable to expect the average person to put their life on hold to travel to a distant state to volunteer for the candidate of their choice.

I realize some do it, and that's terrific. But it's not an option for a lot of people, for a whole host of reasons.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Oh, yeah, I think I'll just run right down to Iowa for a few months.

Please...

[Sapphocrat]

20. Are you offering to pay all my expenses?

As well as what I'll lose in income, meager as it is, indefinitely? (Oh, and are you going to feed my cat, too?)

Oh, please. :eyes:


P.S. to the OP: I'll take a national primary day. Barring that, I say have California's primary first, every time. We out west can settle the whole damned mess in a single day, and then the rest of the country -- or at least DU -- can stop eating one another alive.

[NMMNG]

21. No problemo

We can all afford to drop work and all other personal obligations for several months, travel to a distant state, and take up the expenses to live there while we volunteer for the primary.

In what fantasy world do you live?

[seasat]

15. I think we should have a pre-primary

The problem with public financing is you'd have to have some criteria to qualify. You couldn't just give money to anyone that declared. They'd have to meet a certain standard based on polling. I think we ought to have a system where you feed demographic data into a GIS program and create diverse contiguous blocks of portions of states that could participate in a pre-primary. The areas would be randomly selected and rotate each cycle with no repeats. The candidates could then get the face time with a diverse group of voters. It would allow the retail politics that could propel someone with low name recognition. The candidates will have to develop policies with broad appeal. You'd follow this with 4 primaries separated by a few weeks to month consisting of groups of states that are randomly selected but demographically diverse. You'd also rotate the states each cycle.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. I'm okay with a national primary day once there are spending limits

Until then I'd rather see retail politics countering the money advantage at least somewhat.

[DrFunkenstein]

23. Thank God For Iowa and New Hampshire

I could only imagine what the race would look like in states where they don't give as much thought and consideration to their decisions. Moreover, the good people of those states are not easily starstruck. They don't blink to have a former President in their living room. They are still going to make an informed decision.

As a New Yorker, I don't want a media-saturated campaign over a huge state. I want to keep it at a human level as much as possible in this day and age.

I wouldn't change a thing, except maybe rotating the next round of states.