oyuki

Monday, February 04, 2008

Front Loading Buyer's Remorse

For whom shall the Grim Reaper come to take away tommorow, to be consigned to the Purgatory known as the Domain of the Also-Rans? Will it be Obama or Clinton or Romney or McCain? Will the scythe finally cut down Ron Paul and Huckabee?


Tuesday is supposed to be the big day, so claim pundits, that will annoint the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees. Never mind the conventions are still months away.


And how did we get into this mess? This train-wreck started brewing long before 2007 passed into the history books as states sought to seek more influence in the nomination process. Traditionally New Hampshire and Iowa were the only early caucuses. With more such in the following months culminating in the big convention galas. Then came the Super Tuesday bundling of primaries, of which we are about to see on Fat Tuesday - who thought of that one? Super Tuesday is where many delegates are won across the nation. But not enough to actually lock up the nomination until the other caucuses have happened. But states like Nevada and Florida along with Michigan decided to move their caucuses to before Super Tuesday. This has drastically changed the delegate dynamics of the nomination process. Adding all the delegates won prior to Super Tuesday to the delegates up for grabs on Tuesday means there is a possibility, that before a lot of America is paying attention to who is running for President, many candidates will be knocked out of the race. Which means voters will vote on candidates that have been selected by far fewer people than in previous election cycles. Which also means some voters just might feel a disconnect with the process since the nominee was selected before they could voice their opinion via voting on candidates. And dissatisfied voters just might stay at home, further dropping the already abysmal participation rate of the United States.

5 comments:

Dionne said...

It looks like the Democrat side won't be decided tomorrow.

As for the Republicans, I am hoping for some miracle wins for Romney. If not, hopefully we can at least get rid of Huckabee. I literally can't stand to listen to him, I have to change the channel every time he's on.

Anonymous said...

LAW #1- NO compaigning until 6 months before the primary.

LAW#2- Any sitting politician running for a higher office must resign his/her current office BEFORE running.

Now that would make politics more interesting

Anna said...

Dee, right now maybe the Democrats wont decide.. but that may change. You know how Democrats like to keep counting until they win. At the convention, Hillary will have to campaign to get the ban lifted against Michigan and Florida to have those votes, but we just have to look at New Jersery to see how Democrats and allies can interpret things in their favor.

AndyJ, that will work for me. Since Clinton and Obama are not even around in the Senate to vote what are they being paid for? Oh right being paid to be absent, what work ethics - not.

Sidenote, Obama is touted as the candidate of change. If he is such a harbinger of a new era then why are the survivors of the Greateful Dead and Kennedys endorsing him? Talk about the Old Guard of the psychadelic 1960s, to quote that era dont trust anyone over 30! But Obama is, which should make him such a tool of the man it aint funny. But when have Democrats thought with their brains? Its the feelings man.

Anonymous said...

This cranks me as well. Ohio's primary is in early March. We'll see who's left to vote for when it rolls around. Tancredo, Hunter, Giuliani are all gone.

Anna said...

Ratherdashing, it annoys me a bit that Romney has decided to stop running but his reasoning is hard to fault. The rush for early primaries and causcuses have lead to this and to deeper schisms. I just have to wonder if any of the chasms can be bridged.