Some States to Drop Presidential Primaries

[katusha]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=3&u=/ap/20031109/ap_on_el_ge/canceling_primaries_2

Several states have moved to drop their presidential primaries next year, worried about costs in still-tight financial times and wondering if the political exercise would serve any purpose.

Some say they can't afford the millions of dollars it costs to put on an election. Others say the decisions reflect the lopsided nature of modern primaries: The front-runner gets anointed by the media and campaign donors after the first few state primaries and the rest of the primaries are formalities.


The decisions add fuel to the argument that the primary system is in dire need of repairs. In most states forgoing a primary, party-run caucuses will be used instead to choose delegates to the national conventions.

[cavebat2000]

1. Funny thing

All this is supposedly because states can't afford it. I Think that would make a good news title.

STATES CAN'T AFFORD DEMOCRACY
BUSH LAUGHS HIS ASS OFF

[MrSoundAndVision]

2. This is getting pretty scary guys...

We can't afford democracy anymore? There need to be some serious protests over this.

[virtualobserver]

3. good one...maybe corporate sponsorship of the primaries.....

would finish the process.

[Gin]

4. Diebold would help pay I'm sure.

gin

[mhr]

5. The General Electric New Jersey Primary, "Bringing Our Candidates To You"

"You can vote, but our candidates will win."

I Can See It Now

Don't laugh. If it works for sports, you know it will be tried for elections!

[realFedUp]

6. snip

Other Democrats, however, are pushing to get rid of primaries. Maine dropped its presidential primary for next year, and New Mexico effectively did — it passed a law allowing parties to hold caucuses, and then Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson set an early Feb. 3 caucus (June primaries will go on for other elections).

Washington Gov. Gary Locke, head of the Democratic Governors Association, is calling a special session to discuss scrapping his state's primary next year.

"Why waste $7 million of scarce state money?" Locke said. Democrats in Washington state are using precinct caucuses in February to allocate national convention delegates, making the March 2 primary pointless.

Welcome to DU katusha

[kainah]

7. we don't need elections anymore, folks

after all, those are just for democracies, right?

This, for me, is further proof of what I've firmly believed since 2002. Elections are a charade. We need to demand change in the streets. We, the people, need to lead and force our "leaders" to follow. That's the way it has always worked, throughout history, across all societies. Elections became a narcotic that seduced the masses into believing they have some control. As was made clear in 2000, with stunning finality, is that our elections no longer represent the will of the people. We have to make our will so clear that no one who wants a position of responsibility in this country will be able to ignore us. Not because we threaten their re-election, but because we threaten their ability to run this economy. That, after all, is really where the power lies.

[katusha]

10. thanks fedup

ever since i found this site it has become my first source for news.

[leetrisck]

14. This is scary - whatever the reasoning

is. Missouri was going to do it (may still) but think it got shot down.

[Voltaire99]

8. Why pay for democracy when you can have tax cuts instead?

This proposal is insane, but it's a measure of the depths of the new post-democratic era.

Unfortunately, we can still sink much lower, and castrating the political process will insure that we do. This threat must be stopped.

[bobthedrummer]

9. Thanks for the headsup and welcome to DU, katusha

n/t

[katusha]

11. thanks bobthedrummer

the pleasure is all mine :-)

[otohara]

12. If Bush Weren't The Incumbent - My Gov. Would Find

the money and by God there would be a primary in CO.

[janx]

13. I know what you mean. But Owens and Chimpy are buddies.

Now we have the caucus process to learn about and participate in. I'll participate, but I still know very little about the process.

[stickdog]

15. What the fuck is going on? How the hell do people stand for this?

What they are doing is so fucking obvious!