Should Government Run Primary Elections?

Discussion in 'Elections' started by MasterShake29, Jan 27, 2008.

  1. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I say no, government should not be involved in primary elections. Aren't primaries party functions? Why should Iowa and New Hampshire, states with less black people than play in the NHL, get to go first all the time?

    Turns out I'm not the only one with this thought.

    There are other points in the blog post, so be sure to read it through.
     
  2. Smurfquake

    Smurfquake Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 8, 2000
    San Carlos, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My state and local governments are also holding elections which coincide with the party primary elections. We have statewide propositions and a local school board bond issue to vote on. Why not combine them and reduce any duplication of resources required to have separate elections for the statewide issues and the party primaries?
     
  3. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Yeah, I agree. The political parties are private entities, so lets privatize the elections.

    We would need an incentive, though, to get private venture capitalists involved in financing them. The primaries have to generate a profit. But how?

    Maybe we can charge admision. 50 bucks gets you the right to participate the Iowa Caucus. For 100 bucks you can vote in NH. And so on.

    Other revenue could come from sponsorships. We can have the candidates carry the logos of the sponsors, like Nascar drivers. Imagine. Wallmart, the low price leader, is proud to be a sponsor of the future president of the United States, Hillary Clinton.

    And, the States themselves could sell their names, like the college bowl games. For example, the Nebraska primary could become the Mutual of Omaha primary, and the Washington primary might become known as The Starbucks primary.

    And, why should every network cover the primaries? Lets sell the rights to the highest bidder.

    The possibilities are endless. Capitalism at its best.
     
  4. CrewDust

    CrewDust Member

    May 6, 1999
    Columbus, Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm down with the CompUSA Polan Weedeater Florida Primary Presented by AT&T exclusively on Fox.
     
  5. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Does the Iowa state government pay for the Iowa caucuses? Is that sponsored by a corporation?
     
  6. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll add a caveat.

    If the Republican or Democratic parties in a state want only their party members to vote for their candidates, and will not allow independents to vote, then the Republican and Democratic parties are more than welcome to pay for it by themselves.
     
  7. John Galt

    John Galt Member

    Aug 30, 2001
    Atlanta
    Any chance this complete non-starter could be moved out of Elections into the political theory forum where it belongs?
     
  8. russ

    russ Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Canton,NY
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Why have primaries?

    With X amount of signatures on a petition anyone can get a spot in the general election.

    Period.

    Then divide the Electoral College votes by Proportional Representation in each state,requiring 5% to get a share of the vote.

    If there is no majority,scrap the House of Representatives tie break voting,and have a two person runoff with Electoral college winner-take-all in each state voting.
     
  9. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That would be a start.

    No, there isn't, because as usual you're wrong.

    Is the Green Party entitled to have government pay for their elections? The Libertarians? The Facists? What about people who aren't in a party. Why should they have to pay for party activities?

    All this is is corporate welfare. The parties are perfectly capable of paying for primaries, caucuses, or whatever else they can think of on their own. It's not that difficult.
     
  10. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Jack Grimes will eliminate this problem.

    HAIL GRIMES!
     
  11. dogface

    dogface Let's Just Pretend

    Jun 22, 2002
    St. Peter, MN
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    It's a winnowing process.
     
  12. russ

    russ Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Canton,NY
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well,let's just run them all through threshing machines then. :)

    An inital election followed by a runoff would do the same thing and not mean that the fate of the world would be determined by three states.
     
  13. GringoTex

    GringoTex Member

    Aug 22, 2001
    1301 miles de Texas
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    I say we used privately-owned prisoners to run the primaries.
     
  14. Claymore

    Claymore Member

    Jul 9, 2000
    Montgomery Vlg, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How about a lottery?
     
  15. GOREVS3000

    GOREVS3000 Moderator
    Staff Member

    New England Revolution
    United States
    Sep 18, 2006
    Boston
    Club:
    2 de Mayo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Leave it up to a left leaning website to suggest the government get involved to solve something.
     
  16. dogface

    dogface Let's Just Pretend

    Jun 22, 2002
    St. Peter, MN
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Dang socialists. ;)

    I do agree that the governement shouldn't be involved in primaries.
     
  17. dogface

    dogface Let's Just Pretend

    Jun 22, 2002
    St. Peter, MN
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I want a primary Terrordome: two candidates enter, one leaves.
     

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