[KarlInOhio]

We must NEVER AGAIN allow the media to pick our candidate.

Just wait until 2012. Unless Obama is going down like Johnson in 1968, he will run unopposed in the Dem primary. That will leave every single Democrat available to switch parties to pick the weakest Republican possible. This could be very ugly, especially in open primary states where they don't have to declare their switch of parties a month beforehand.

The tight race between Clinton and Obama was the only thing that kept that from happening in 2008, but we still ended up with the Democrats' favorite Republican anyway. Imagine if they were actively working for it.

[Uncle Ivan]

This could be very ugly, especially in open primary states where they don't have to declare their switch of parties a month beforehand.

That's right. It's going to be extremely difficult to push a conservative to the nomination in 2012. If we don't make it GOP only, and set a time limit beforehand on being able to switch parties and vote, then we are going to get stuck with another RINO because the conservative vote may very well be split once again.

Close the primaries, close the primaries, close the primaries.