Can we convert all the caucuses into primaries by 2016?

[retromike22]

And what would be the process for turning them into primaries?

I'm assuming passing the state legislature?

[MadmanMotley]

I say make them all caucuses, it makes things more competitive.

[retromike22]

I say make them all caucuses, it makes things more competitive.

And less democratic.

[Free Bird]

I say make them all caucuses, it makes things more competitive.

And less democratic.

If it's for a party candidate, who cares? Not like it suppresses the national vote or something

[Mr. Morden]

Obviously this won't happen.  However, the new RNC rules do require caucus results to bind the votes of the delegates at the convention (which I think is how the Nevada rules worked in 2012, but few other caucus states did this on the GOP side, until now).

So you will no longer have a situation like Iowa 2012, where Santorum and Romney got the most support on caucus night, yet a majority of the delegates went to Paul.

[Hamster]

I say make them all caucuses, it makes things more competitive.

And less democratic.

If it's for a party candidate, who cares? Not like it suppresses the national vote or something

Who the parties nominate decides the boundaries of the national election. It certainly has an effect on American democracy is the nominating process is undemocratic.

[Old Man Willow]

After Obama 2008, I'm all for it.

[nolesfan2011]

I say make them all caucuses, it makes things more competitive.

agreed, an engaged electorate should pick nominees for their parties

[IceSpear]

I'd support this. It's bad enough that primary elections have a very small amount of voters dictating who the rest of the country will vote for. Caucuses exacerbate this problem even more.

[CountryClassSF]

I hope so. Caucuses by nature disenfranchise the elderly and the working class. I remember what happened during the 08 primary.

A good old fashioned election is what's needed. I know our friends in Iowa think of their caucus as "tradition" -- but sometimes traditions should come to an end.

[SWE]

The idea that the parties have a means of choosing their candidates that's even less democratic than primaries is disgusting

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

How about we let the wise old men pick the nominees in smoke filled rooms?

[The Mikado]

How about we let the wise old men pick the nominees in smoke filled rooms?

I think the Democrats, at least, would move into a non-smoking room by this point.

[⛄]

How about we let the wise old men pick the nominees in smoke filled rooms?

I think the Democrats, at least, would move into a non-smoking room by this point.

It depends on what kind of smoke...

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Personally, I would like to see delegates eliminated alltogether. Instead, primaries should be a nationwide vote, held on the same day (so we wouldn't have small early stated largely deciding the outcome at the expense of rest of the country).

However, since it's obviously a longshot idea, it's more democratic to eliminate caucuses and have a regular primary in every state. Caucuses are not representative (awarding the faithful and political machines) and the actual vote does not necessarily determine a final count of delegates.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

How about we let the wise old men pick the nominees in smoke filled rooms?

That's sort of what top two encourages, since it's important to the party to strongly support a candidate in the primary to avoid a 2012 CA-31 situation or what almost happened with the 2014 CA Comptroller race.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Primaries should be converted into caucuses. Less power in the hands of party establishment and more in the hands of the party base.

[King]

The correct answer is we should vote for delegates, friends and neighbors in our community, and then have them select the candidates at the national convention.

Direct democracy is crap.