GOP Primary Megathread!

[Admiral Yi]

Also Zanza, it's a state w/ a tiny percentage of the US population, of which maybe 100,000 to 150,000 will show up at the GOP caucus.

[Sheilbh]

Doesn't Iowa just represent 1% of the votes or so? I don't understand why you would drop out with 99% still to go.

Tim Pawlenty dropped out because he lost a straw poll in Iowa

He'd be surging around about now.  He could even be the leader had he stayed in.

[DGuller]

Doesn't Iowa just represent 1% of the votes or so? I don't understand why you would drop out with 99% still to go.

Tim Pawlenty dropped out because he lost a straw poll in Iowa

He'd be surging around about now.  He could even be the leader had he stayed in.

He'd be surging at some point, surely.  There were enough months for everyone.  I used to joke a month ago that it's time for Ron Paul or Santorum to surge, because everyone else had their turn.  Now I just shake my head.

[The Larch]

All this coming and going makes me think about how unreasonably complicated, long and thus expensive US primaries are. Can't there be a simpler and fairer system?

[MadImmortalMan]

All this coming and going makes me think about how unreasonably complicated, long and thus expensive US primaries are. Can't there be a simpler and fairer system?

Yes. We ban political parties and everyone runs as an independent as god intended.

[Admiral Yi]

All this coming and going makes me think about how unreasonably complicated, long and thus expensive US primaries are. Can't there be a simpler and fairer system?

The argument *for* stringing it out like this is that it allows marginal candidates to get their foot in the door through relatively cheap footwork.  If all primaries were on the same day then presumably only the folks with large advertising budgets could compete.

[Malthus]

Let's all think up some kind of gross definition for Rick Santorum's name.  It's childish.

So homophobes big beef with gays is that they are childish?

Most people have a beef with adults that are childish.

This brought out the childish in me:

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/3354



Combine with this headline:

Santorum surges from behind in Iowa

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/136347948.html

[The Larch]

All this coming and going makes me think about how unreasonably complicated, long and thus expensive US primaries are. Can't there be a simpler and fairer system?

The argument *for* stringing it out like this is that it allows marginal candidates to get their foot in the door through relatively cheap footwork.  If all primaries were on the same day then presumably only the folks with large advertising budgets could compete.

But why should they be that way in the first place? Why is a large advertising budget even necessary for an internal primary election?

[The Brain]

All this coming and going makes me think about how unreasonably complicated, long and thus expensive US primaries are. Can't there be a simpler and fairer system?

The argument *for* stringing it out like this is that it allows marginal candidates to get their foot in the door through relatively cheap footwork.  If all primaries were on the same day then presumably only the folks with large advertising budgets could compete.

But why should they be that way in the first place? Why is a large advertising budget even necessary for an internal primary election?

Why wouldn't it be?

[Sheilbh]

All this coming and going makes me think about how unreasonably complicated, long and thus expensive US primaries are. Can't there be a simpler and fairer system?

I think it's great.  The American primary system's a sort of wonderful democratic festival.

I imagine living through those news cycles and ads would give me a very different opinion.

Edit:  Having said that I think there must be some way you guys can shorten the election process.  I mean this has been going on for 6 months and we're nowhere near done.

[The Larch]

All this coming and going makes me think about how unreasonably complicated, long and thus expensive US primaries are. Can't there be a simpler and fairer system?

The argument *for* stringing it out like this is that it allows marginal candidates to get their foot in the door through relatively cheap footwork.  If all primaries were on the same day then presumably only the folks with large advertising budgets could compete.

But why should they be that way in the first place? Why is a large advertising budget even necessary for an internal primary election?

Why wouldn't it be?

Because it's terribly expensive, bounds candidates to make decissions according to the electoral whims of an unrepresentative territory and doesn't guarantee to produce the best possible candidate?

[Eddie Teach]

But why should they be that way in the first place? Why is a large advertising budget even necessary for an internal primary election?

Because the decision is being made by regular joes who know fuck all about the candidates.

[The Brain]

All this coming and going makes me think about how unreasonably complicated, long and thus expensive US primaries are. Can't there be a simpler and fairer system?

The argument *for* stringing it out like this is that it allows marginal candidates to get their foot in the door through relatively cheap footwork.  If all primaries were on the same day then presumably only the folks with large advertising budgets could compete.

But why should they be that way in the first place? Why is a large advertising budget even necessary for an internal primary election?

Why wouldn't it be?

Because it's terribly expensive, bounds candidates to make decissions according to the electoral whims of an unrepresentative territory and doesn't guarantee to produce the best possible candidate?

How do you suggest you influence the voters without advertising?

[The Larch]

But why should they be that way in the first place? Why is a large advertising budget even necessary for an internal primary election?

Because the decision is being made by regular joes who know fuck all about the candidates.

Who can vote in these primaries? Everybody? Registered Republicans only?

[Eddie Teach]

Varies by state.