Republicans moving to overhaul 2016 primary process

[highplainsdem]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) -- A handful of Republican Party officials is quietly advancing a new batch of rules aimed at streamlining a chaotic presidential nominating process that many party insiders viewed as damaging to the their campaign for the White House in 2012, multiple GOP sources told CNN.

In a series of closed-door meetings since August, handpicked members of the Republican National Committee have been meeting with party Chairman Reince Priebus in Washington to hash out details of a sweeping plan to condense the nominating calendar, severely punish primary and caucus states that upend the agreed-upon voting order and potentially move the party's national convention to earlier in the summer, with late June emerging as the ideal target date.

-snip-

"There is a definitely a consensus for Reince's objective to have less debates and have control over how and who we have run our debates, rather than just turning it over to X, Y or Z network and having a guy moderate who's going to just dog you for two hours," said the Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive and not-yet-finalized rules changes.

-snip-

By moving the convention to late June, the 2016 nominee will be able to open up his or her general election war chest a full two months earlier.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/11/politics/rnc-2016-changes/index.html

[oldandhappy]

1. control control control

Democracy is messy and the more you control/squeeze it, the less you ultimately get. Without the support of the people, you do not win. Earlier announcements will mean more time for the lame stream press to dig out all your secrets! Oh ya, and do not forget more rules limiting voting!!

[Laelth]

11. Spot on.

Democracy is messy, and many Republicans don't like it. They want their debates to be PR events, not real debate and inquiry into their candidates.

Pathetic, but true.

-Laelth

[dvncmdy]

16. Republicans dislike......

.....everything that doesn't agree with them. I have never seen more intolerant people in my life than people on the Right.

[underpants]

2. Too much time near mics in 2012

I could have told them that duh.

They also started their "debates" against the football season so no one watched them and the news reports were mostly just on the goof ups.

Also better candidates and them not all having the exact same talking points (Perry's mindblank filled by others on the stage) will help but then the Fox News viewers have the Top 40 Hits that they demand to hear.

[leftyohiolib]

3. so they'll only be on fox and moderated by palin the court jester

[BlueEye]

4. This strategy of only allowing conservative debate moderators, only going on Fox, etc.

could blow up in their face. The "middle third" might feel politically alienated if the GOP says 'anyone who isn't a diehard conservative isn't welcome in our process'. And without the independents, you cannot win. Of course, I hope that is the case.

[warrior1]

5. oh so

they are going to have to silence the teabagger monster they created? Good luck with that losers.

[Ganja Ninja]

6. A quicker primary and earlier convention means ..

more time for gaffs between the convention and the election. 47% more time for hidden cell phone videos about the 47%.
Once you're down to one clown in the clown car there's only one mouth for the foot to go in.

[oberliner]

7. The debates are kind of ridiculous

For both parties. It would be cool to have a format where the candidates actually, you know, debate. Right now it seems like a lot of game playing and sound bytes and whatnot.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

15. ^^^^This^^^^^

Absolutely agreed.

[Dopers_Greed]

8. The press is not going to be happy about this

As lame and softball as they are, they see themselves as the ones holding politicians accountable.

[lostincalifornia]

9. They are concerned that the tea party will mess them up, and they are hoping they won't have time to

organize. The Tea Party has already come out and said there will be an all out brawl with mainstream republicans

[another_liberal]

10. They will be able to "Shake the Etch A Sketch" two months sooner . . .

That way they will have eight more weeks to repeat the lies about how "Middle of the Road" and "Moderately Conservative" their one-percent-loving candidate really is at heart. Who knows, it may even fool a few more people?

[DallasNE]

18. This Could Well Backfire

Because it looks like they want to return things to inside politics and the well moneyed Tea Party will not take this laying down. Could this end up being a rerun of 1968 for Democrats? It sounds like insider Republicans want Christie to the point where they will rig the game in an attempt to make it happen.

[another_liberal]

21. You might be right.

Christie is the one who might be able to win nationally. In the primaries, however, he would be raw meat for the Tea Party. Should be fun to watch!

[KansDem]

22. Thanks for the reference!

I had forgotten about the "Etch-A-Sketch" remark from the Romney campaign!

Rick Santorum has found an unlikely new rallying point: The Etch A Sketch.

Santorum's campaign has aggressively seized on a comment Wednesday morning by Romney Communications Director Eric Fehrnstrom, who was asked on CNN if he was concerned that the primary challenge from Santorum and Newt Gingrich "might force the governor to tack so far to the right" that Romney will alienate moderates who would otherwise vote for him if and when he reaches the general election.

"Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign," Fehrnstrom responded. "Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again."

The comment reflected a political reality: Presidential candidates from both parties traditionally tend to play to their base in the primary before tacking toward the center in a general election in order to win moderates. But it also played directly into the Santorum campaign's argument that conservatives can't trust Romney to stand up for their beliefs in the general election.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/etch-a-sketch-takes-center-stage-in-gop-fight/

That's why I come to DU: For current news and information as well as reminders and refreshers!

[heaven05]

12. may you stay in disarray.

[LongTomH]

24. Confusion to our enemies!!!!

That will be my toast until 2016!

[politicaljunkie41910]

13. They will have been running since 2013. What difference will two months make?

[another_liberal]

14. An earlier Convention will give them more time to make people forget . . .

Those two months might be important. An earlier Convention will give them more time to try and make people forget what horrifying and disgusting things their candidate had to say in the primaries just to get Republican-base-goons to nominate him.

[yellowcanine]

17. "have control over how and who we have run our debates..."

Standing by for the Potemkin "Debates" of 2016. Three....Two......One......

[Xolodno]

19. Earlier convention?

That means they lose the convention bump sooner. That probably isn't a good idea.

Disenfranchise the press? Not a good idea, you will just end up giving them ammunition about how "out of touch" the GOP is.

If they want to stop the clown car Bachman, Santorum types...

1. Limit to 5 debates.
2. Primaries in 10 states at a time (one debate per primary).

Sure this throws the underdogs under the bus...but when your underdogs are social jihadists, they can push the message to social issues and carry when they only have to focus one state at a time in the beginning.

They don't need to be in the norm of the nation but can influence the narrative for a long time....to the detriment of the GOP. But with 10 states...they may pick up a state or two...but that's it (plus be competing for that state against other crazies).

Those that are sane are going to get the majority and don't have to run all the way to the right. And bang....you have a contender that can appeal to the majority....


Ummm...On second thought, they shouldn't do this.....

[aaaaaa5a]

20. Is it the number of debates or their ideas?

How come during the 2008 Democratic primary process, all of the endless debates between Obama and Clinton didn't hurt their national standing? But when the GOP had lots of debates in 2012, they themselves freely admit it hurt their chances?

[okaawhatever]

23. Saying lots of words; Democrats=Good Republicans=Bad nt

[NobodyHere]

25. 2008 is why lengthened the process

They thought that the long Democratic Party primary (and its extensive media coverage) was a big help for democrats. So they changed the rules in 2012 to get a longer primary.

Republicans seem to not realize that their biggest problem is the candidates themselves.


To be honest though, I think the 2016 Republican primary is going to be absolutely hysterical. The only thing that could make it better is if Rob Ford joined in on the circus.

[liberal N proud]

26. Always looking for a way to screw the voter