"Open" primaries that allow "Operation Chaos" subterfuge in many states is not a new subject and should have been dealt with by national and states' party leaderships long time ago.
Getting 95% of the delegates while getting 60% of the vote in a large state like NY and then complaining about "rigged" and "unfair" system may be considered "good politics" or strategy in the primary (like Charlie Sheen's "Winning!!" refrain), but it should not confuse anybody but low-information voters or be tolerated by anyone but the audiences of Comedy Channel and late-night "comedy news" shows.
Today's celebrity-driven culture (particularly of younger generations, like Millennials or younger Gen-Xers) favour those with name recognition (see Eddie Murphy's "The Distinguished Gentleman" (1992)) — whether in politics or "entertainment" — and/or those who mass media wants to elevate and make the "king" or the "queen" (if only temporarily, for "15 minutes" or only to set up an easier "kill" later.)
Current election rules and limits on personal donations give enormous advantage in primaries to ego-driven super-rich with little or no ideology or attachment to the constituents of the party, but who don't need to spend tremendous amount of time and money on fund-raising efforts just to be able to stay in the race, e.g., Perot, Romney, Trump. These rules also need to be changed and simplified, or we will keep getting the "lesser of the evils" candidates who represent, at best, a small fraction of what "we" [want to] believe in.
40% in a large field should be enough. Most contests should be popular vote and winner takes most.
This unity ticket is bad for the independent nature of the general campaign.
Trump shouldnt be forced to cut a deal with Jeb just because he needs another 5 to 9% somewhere. It’s better that the dominant 40% candidate gets in alone.
Trump should not be forced to cut deals with Jeb or Rubio just to get 50% of the vote.
All the congress primaries should have runoffs.
To equate delegate wrangling and party insider candidate selection with the equivalent of awarding delegates based on voter preference is patently laughable.
Further, to continue to dismiss common voter preference with American Idol fantasia or voter vacuity/gullibility or the like is absurd.
It is true that the Constitution leaves voting up to the states because of division of powers - Federalism, but the intent was based on a fundamental understanding that somewhere, somehow, voter preferences would be at least considered. Even in “open primaries,” there are still choices for the common voter.
To translate that ideal to a place like Colorado where no statewide voter preference referendum was held at all and call that tit-for-tat with states that award winner-take-all delegates or any variations thereof reeks of “by any means necessary.”
Rules may be on Cruz’ side, but the voters are not. We are going to see a tsunami today, and in the primaries where voters can make there wishes known thereafter. Stand by your rules, and you will be standing on the side watching the opponents victory speech. You can take that to the bank.
What the author fails to grasp is that the “context” from which the claim “It’s not fair!” originates informs people’s reactions. If the person saying “It’s not fair!” is losing then the public thinks it’s just sour grapes. Now if someone is beating the competition like a drum and says “It’s not fair!” people will give them the benefit of the doubt.
‘America deserves a president who can master the complex rules of world leadership and play to win.’
complaining about a system that he didnt bother to participate in is an act. he didnt get a political analyst on board until a couple weeks ago when he realized his personality wasnt enough to sway delegates.
this is not a democracy where majority rules. sheeple flocking to vote wont always make you the winner. and a man who prolly knows the zoning laws of every state in the union knows exactly what he is doing.
he’s hoping cult of personality will get him elected the same as obama.
Yes. It’s rigged against Donald.
After all, the GOPe can’t have anybody upsetting their gravy train.
What is missed in all the “reporting” on this delegate issue is that it is not specifically targeted at anyone other than We the People. That is what the media and the establishment are trying desperately to gloss over to protect their Ruling Party Club.
Not only has Trump not played their game, he has pulled the curtain aside from the Wizards of Smart to expose them and their desperate attempt to keep the Serfs right where they are.
These authors are wrong on just about every point.
No one has complained about primaries, whether they are “winner takes all” or proportional allocations of delegates. Trump and his supporters complained about “caucuses” in which delegates were assigned to the less popular candidate through a complicated application of “rules” that only a lawyer could love.
In addition, these authors’ complaint about the “celebrity-driven culture” are misguided. If only we knew all of the candidates for all offices as well as we do Trump! Then we wouldn’t have situations where a candidate goes home and campaigns on a fairly conservative, pro-America agenda and then heads back to Washington where he supports and promotes socialist, anti-freedom policies and laws. People are not voting for Trump simply because of celebrity worship—I do not think Justin Bieber or Katy Perry would get even 5% of the vote, despite the fact that these are the two most tweeted celebrities right now, each having tens of millions of followers. People support Trump because they know who he is and judge him capable. I, for one, am looking forward to his leveraging his executive level business experience into the executive requirements of the office of the president.
Last, the authors’ complaint that Trump can afford his own campaign is completely off the mark. Trump, by not taking big money donors, is beholden to no one once he gets into office—well, no one except the ordinary voters who put him there. Can the same be said about any politician who funnels in money from giant special interests—who give the money with the tacit understanding that the politician taking it will support legislation and programs designed to give that interest special advantages and influence that ordinary voters do not have? What about the Clintons and their multi-billion dollar money-laundering operation (aka “foundation”)? Does anyone think for a minute that Hillary will represent the people?
Some here will see your point, others will not. Thank you for posting this.
Dear Lord, this guy knows how to pitch a fit
Yes they’re rigged. Colorado was just the most blatant. Trump even said that Florida changed their system originally to help Rubio/Bush, but it ended up helping him instead with Winner Take All
They rules weren’t specifically rigged against Trump.
They were written (rigged?) to give primary voters the illusion of electing the nominee while actually keeping control within the party establishment.
No different than the democrats - just not as obvious and in-your-face.
Trump just happens to be the nightmare candidate that the republican party power brokers hoped they would never see.
His candidacy is sort of the perfect storm that reveals the true workings of the inner party.
I believe the party power brokers made an unrecoverable error when their establishment choices fell early in the game and and they panicked.
Once they chose sides against Trump and publicly showed their hand they opened the door to an inner party struggle that can only help the Hillary and the democrats.
Of course it’s rigged. If it weren’t rigged against Trump he would have 100% of the delagates. If it were fair, the GOP would have kicked Cruz and Kasich off the ballot the moment Trump hit 34%.
This stinks like a barge full of rotten fish, and we’re taking this POS party down.
GO TRUMP!
The reason "that's the way it's always been" doesn't fly is that the way it's always been is that the GOPe candidate always wrapped it up after Super Tuesday, or shortly after, so that the actual delegate selection process was pro forma, it didn't really matter.
Now that we have a true electoral contest, we are seeing the flaws in the process, meaning we are seeing all the hidden back-doors that were always there but never used, that are being used now to undermine the will of the voters because the GOPe finally lost at the ballot box.
That's what has the people so angry. It's not that the rules were always there, it's that the rules are designed keep the establishment in power.
-PJ
“Trump’s connection to the Republican Party is weak and of recent vintage”
Bingo!
“Those with deep ties to the party deserve greater input than those with tenuous or nonexistent connections.”
That’s a pro-establishment assertion at a time when the ‘establishment’ is seen by many as one of our problems.
Obviously, those that are proven loyalists to the party machinery are going to be respected by the party machinery.
When a machine is working well, the cogs in the machine deserve respect, but when it’s not ....
Rigged against Trump?
NO
Rigged against outsiders?
Hell yes.
Remember, an outsider and any change he might bring could upset the gravy train. A train that runs from the local dog catcher right up to the White Hut. Remember, these “jobs” are not near as valuable as the benefits.
Anyone who has been here for any amount of time knows that one of our biggest laments is that the system allows the GOPe/RNC and others to select who our candidate pool will be and also steer towards their own favorite candidate - taking the will of the People out of it and making it harder to get a real conservative or any outsider into the mix.
Funny how so many of them now have no problem with that system if it means that the priss gets to stamp his pretty foot and to lecture down at those who have decided that they no longer want him as their candidate.
They are ‘Rigged’ against voters. If a candidate wins a State, that should be it, he chooses his delegates. The way it is now, Trump can win a State in a landslide, and Cruz being connected to the Party System,and Bosses, can wind up choosing Trumps delegates. INSANITY.
These states which have convoluted primaries are indeed rigged. They are not aimed against Trump but against anyone the established Republicans deem unacceptable to them. Their aim is to maintain the status quo.
“Getting 95% of the delegates while getting 60% of the vote in a large state like NY and then complaining about “rigged” and “unfair” system may be considered “good politics” or strategy in the primary”
This is a non starter and is a whining Cruz talking point.
1.) If you win 50 + 1% of the vote you should get all delegates, whether it is statewide or by district or a combination, depending on the state
2.) The system IS rigged, against the voters!