Are primaries bad for choosing the best prez candidate? Some writers say they are bad for party strength. When did the primary system last undergo an overhaul?
The last overhaul began with the Democrats' McGovern-Fraser reforms, which the Republicans quickly followed and which stemmed out of the 1968 disaster in Chicago. No doubt the Democrats blamed their precipitous collapse in 1968 on the fact that a candidate who had not won a single primary was duly nominated in Chicago. Ironically, the post-reform period has been even worse for them, while better for the Republicans.
The current system tends to weaken parties since they no longer control the nomination process. The media now plays a much bigger role therefore in selecting the candidate. This is supposed to lead to more 'telegenic' and charismatic candidates and fewer candidates who may lack charisma but have more experience and qualifications.
