TOTAL LICENSING
as a bloc for the chosen candidate. Actually both political parties have been care- tions select delegates.
The results: The nomination process was indeed ful not to irritate New Hampshire and Iowa for Caucuses spread over
opened up to public scrutiny and by 1980, 30 fear of driving them into the other party’s camp. levels. First local then
states had adopted primaries. As long-term Senator Smith (Rep. New Hamp- state convention se-se-
shire) explained: “New Hampshire law requires lects delegates to Na-
WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS us to be first. We have provided America with an tional Convention.
WAS UNANTICIPATED AND COM- extraordinary service reviewing and assessing To simplify the follow-
PLETELY UNEXPECTED. candidates without interference by big money ing, I have placed +
More media attention, more importance of early and slick media campaigns” (my comment: Who for positive, and – for
primaries and in 1988 a block of southern sates said so? Other small states can make the same negative effect:
agreed to hold all their primaries on the second argument. Why own the playground. Other + Eliminates frontloading, more careful
Tuesday in March, calling it Super Tuesday. less privileged kids want in. There is no federal selection
By 1996, in response, California moved its pri- law preferring New Hampshire and such a law - Very slow, very expensive voting by elites
mary from the First Tuesday in June to the much would be illegal anyhow!). Article I, Section 8 with time for caucus debates
earlier first Tuesday in March. clause of the Interstate Commerce Laws says:
By 2000, 11 states combined and joined Cali- “Nor may a state seek to extend the effect of TWO TIER NOMINATIONS (Chip Wagoner,
fornia’s date, creating Mega Tuesday and a block its laws beyond its own borders or in a manner Republican National election commission mem-
of Western states jumped in between Super which destroys or impairs the rights of citizens ber from Alaska, year 2000).
Tuesday and Mega Tuesday by choosing Saturday in other states”. Make a first primary not for delegates, but to
before Mega Tuesday. The McGovern-Fraser Commission and The narrow the field of would-be presidential del-
Consequences of these hopscotch games by self Brock Commission were by no means the only egates. Any candidate who wins any six states
interested states began to show – both parties or the last commission to advise varying recipes is submitted to National Convention. Only at
began earnestly to look for a way out. for repairs but they had no legal powers to com- Convention is candidate selected.
• By 2000, 78% of state primaries had been pel the individual parties and one or the other + Convention becomes main event, primary not
held by March 15
th
and so the other 22% party would always feel their interests threat- automatically decisive. Therefore media hoopla
obviously had no further importance ened so nothing ever happened. Individual states breaks out!
on ways to influence the selection –- and initiatives could not bind other states – neither - Candidates not having dropped out spend
this sort of disenfranchised their voters and could Federal Congress, even if it could agree, much money. Great disappointment at con-
discouraged selection and participation. trample on the cherished individual states rights vention. Voters consider primary unimportant.
• Also it was observed in 2000 that before or essentially private citizens’ rights because a Therefore low turn-out. counterproductive to
the first March primary madness even party is a free association of private citizens. ideal.
began, Senators McCain and Bradley (well Obviously this would be dictatorship, not demo-
known but financially not independently cratic freedom. PROPORTIONAL PHASING INTO WINNER
wealthy) had dropped out for lack of ability TAKE ALL
to raise enough funds. Of 12 Republican A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT (Professor Rapapport of William and Mary Col-
announced candidates, 6 dropped out. SEEMED UNREACHABLE lege and Walter Stone of the University of Col-
It requires: orado before the Brock Commission (2000). A
Again, a reform commission: The Brock Com- A) a proposal requires passage by 2/3rds of system to control mechanisms to be used: in
mission reported “it is an indisputable fact that each Chamber of Congress: first month of nomination season state must al-
in every nomination campaign since 1980 in B) passage of ¾ of both chambers of the State locate all candidates by proportional represen-
both parties, the eventual party nominee was legislatures of each state (75 state tation of votes.
the candidate who had raised the most money legislatures) Second month’s Primaries state must allocate
before December 31
st
of the year before the 1/3
rd
of its delegates to winner of primary
general election. No such amendment has succeeded for years Third month’s primary, state must allocates 1/3
rd
As Thomas Gangale, about whom more further though almost a hundred have been introduced. of it delegates to winner of primary
on, wrote afterwards (ironically) “the American Fourth month’s primary, state must allocate
people get the best presidents money can buy”. WHAT COULD WORK? 1/3
rd
to winner
• Another point of contention in the ongoing Unanimous action by both major political par- Fifth month’s primary, state must allocate all del-
debates was the early primary position of ties to agree on the same changes seemed to egates to winner.
New Hampshire and Iowa. These small hold the most promise. And so plans for im- • + Each state determines in which month it
states were held to be atypical of the provements began to proliferate and tried to wants its citizens to vote – so we get a
general American panorama because their find support from the National Chairmen of mixed system.
ethnic and immigrant citizen proportion, both parties. I will list a few before proceeding • + Lesser candidates stay around longer if
and their urban population concentration, to the most popular which, had I anything to say states with proportional representation
were less than that of so many states – about it, I would favor. have established them a status.
but their publicity value for early victories • - Most states might choose “winner take all”
could set up a groundswell hard to ALL CAUCUSES CONVENTION MODEL to have greater influence of established
overcome later. Forget primaries. State caucuses and conven- local favorite son.
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