Are primaries bad for choosing the best prez candidate?
I would say yes. I don't really see how New Hampshire and Iowa (I know it is a caucus) are representative of the entire nation but if a serious candidate loses both, he (or she) is almost certainly toast. Primaries are not bad in and of themselves but need to be restructured to be more reflective of wider voter intention and support.
I agree that the current system could use an overhaul. Which direction to overhaul the system depends on your view of the role of parties in the process. The party role was greatly reduced by the long stretch of primaries that builds momentum toward a winner.
Personnaly, I think the parties and their members should play a role since the candidate will go forward carrying that party's name. A single national day for states to choose delegates, either by primary or caucus, would be an interesting alternative. It would certainly judge support for national candidates, but in races with a large field of significant contenders the convention would again play a real part in selection. The leading candidate (without a majority) might have little chance to improve their vote totals enough to win the general election. The convention would be a mechanism to work that out.
